What time did to us
by XPtanjaXP
Summary: A sequel to my story 'If I could turn back time' ! This is about the time after Sakura's fight with the Kyuubi. Have fun!
1. Agony

1

Agony

Silence.

The growling of the Kyuubi went silent abruptly. Sakura must have finished her mission right at that moment. So the only thing left to do was for Minato to finish _his _mission. And he had almost finished it.

"W-Why-," a rasping voice asked.

The Yondaime didn't even bother to answer the man with the orange mask. He simply stood there, his kunai deep in Madara's chest near his heart. Minato only had to push it a little bit forward and then everything would be over. With one quick movement, he pushed his hand through his enemy's chest. After a last gasp, Madara slumped down in the Yondaime's arms.

"You'll never threaten us again, Uchiha Madara," Minato said without the slightest emotion in his voice.

Once he pulled his arm out of Madara's dead body, he laid him down in the grass and sealed his body in the ground, so that nobody could steal him since Sakura has never said that he had been the only one behind this entire ruckus. Minato just wanted to make sure that the Uchiha clan had a proof that Madara plotted the Kyuubi's attack just as Sakura had told him.

Right after the Hokage sealed Madara safely in the ground he ran as fast as he could. It was true that it was all over now…Konoha was safe again, but there was one ninja, whose agony was just about to begin, if Minato didn't tell him the truth.

As soon as he arrived on the field, where Sakura had faced the Kyuubi, he stopped right at the moment, when he saw them. Sakura lied in Kakashi's arms. She was almost at her end, Minato could tell only by looking at her face. As he watched the scene in front of him, he felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't imagine how it must be for Kakashi.

"What about me, Sakura? What about me needing you in my life? I need you more than anything!"

Although Sakura had trouble to understand him, she could understand the message of his words.

"But I am in your life, Kakashi," she smiled ruefully also crying silently.

"You won't be there," he told her placing his forehead to hers.

"Yes, I will. Let's meet again, Kakashi. In twelve years in the Academy in team 7. That's where we will meet again. And from there we'll start over, I promise," she lifted her chin up a bit and placed a kiss on his lips.

He also kissed her still crying, but when her lips were gone from his, he didn't even have to open his eyes again. He knew that she was gone. For good.

He could feel the rest of her warmth leaving her body.

He straightened up pulling her upper body with him until her head was against his chest and his cheek against the top of her head. His sobs and cries could be heard throughout the forest, he was sure of it, but it didn't matter. His love - his heart was chopped out of his chest and was never to return.

Kakashi felt some hands on his back and his shoulder. His friends, who had probably seen the scene just now, tried to comfort him silently, but it didn't work. There was no comfort for him. At that moment, he shed all the tears his broken heart could afford.

This world became a dark, cold place and Kakashi didn't want to be part of it any longer. Everything was meaningless without Sakura.

"Kakashi," a low voice said behind him.

Minato stood behind him. He was totally covered in blood - his own as well as his enemy's blood.

"You have to believe Sakura. You'll meet her again, I guarantee it," he told him calmly.

"How? She is dead," Kakashi's eyes were dry again, but his voice shaky.

"No, she is alive and very healthy. You know, there are many things we have to talk about, my son. Take Sakura with you and follow me back to the village," Minato helped him to stand up and walked towards Konoha with every ninja following him.

18 hours later

Now that the ninjas who had gotten injured during the battle with the Kyuubi had been treated, everyone was gathered at Konoha's graveyard. All the dead ninjas lied next to an open grave, where they were about to be buried. But before that, the Hokage would pay his last respect to them.

"Today we did go through a lot…but we ended up losing even more. Let's pray for Konoha's heroes," Minato closed his eyes in order to pray silently.

Everyone else did the same…praying for their friends who gave their lives for the village. But there was one ninja, who only prayed for his girlfriend.

Kakashi was on his knees next to an open grave and held Sakura in his arms like he had done before on the battlefield. He just couldn't let go of her. Even now, he tried to tell himself that Sakura was only sleeping in his arms, but he couldn't lie to himself as he held her cold body to him. He would never look in her beautiful eyes again. Never would he feel her body warmth. Never would he hear her voice again. Never would he feel her embrace again.

No. Nothing of that would ever happen again.

Sakura was dead.

His Sakura was never to return to him. She was gone.

After a few minutes of silence, Kakashi could hear the others laying the corpses into the graves and filling them up with earth. Burying the dead.

Kakashi didn't dare to move. He knew that he had to say goodbye now, but he didn't want to. How could he ever do this to Sakura? How could he bury her? He didn't want to do this. That would be final.

"Kakashi," Minato stepped behind him and put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder.

Not trusting his voice Kakashi simply shook his head pulling Sakura tighter to him.

"Kakashi, if you don't mind … I could be the one burying Sakura," Minato offered.

When Kakashi didn't shake his head this time, Minato stepped around him and came down on his knees in front of the Copy Ninja. As soon as the Yondaime looked in his student's face, he felt that lump in his throat again. It was as if Kakashi had written 'agony' all over his face. Minato was sure that the young ninja had never suffered as much as he did in that moment. Not even when Rin and Obito had died.

Slowly the Hokage took Sakura out of his arms surprised by the fact that Kakashi didn't resist even once. Not even when he hopped into the grave laying her down on the earth and gently covering her with a blanket he had prepared beforehand. Just as he wanted to climb out of the grave, he looked at Kakashi.

But he was gone.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

"_Kakashi, can't we throw that damn clock out of the window? I can't sleep with that annoying ticking noise!" Sakura pouted in a very lovely way while looking at Kakashi._

"_Sorry, Sakura, but that's the only clock here. Not that time matters to me, when I am with you, but I think Minato-sensei would be very angry with me, if I were to be late," Kakashi smiled snuggling closer to Sakura in his bed._

"_Fine, but as soon as I get you another clock I will personally crash that damn ticking thing," she grumbled placing a soft kiss on Kakashi's lips._

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Kakashi stood in his apartment gazing around. He went down the small hallway to his living room, but stopped as a pink raincoat on his sofa caught his eye. He stared.

"_I hate rain," Sakura gritted her teeth, as she entered the apartment completely soaked._

"_I figured as much," Kakashi grinned at her from the hallway._

"_You're just grinning because you didn't have to go out in this downpour! I swear, I'll never leave your apartment again, if I even so much as feel that it might be raining soon," she sighed taking off her soaked shoes._

"_What a pity. Then I guess I have to give this back," the Copy Ninja said while he was waving a pink raincoat in front of her._

_Sakura gasped._

"_Oh my god! We saw this raincoat in the shop down the street yesterday! You bought it for me?" She asked incredulous._

"_Of course," Kakashi answered embarrassed._

_With one quick movement, Sakura flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. _

"_Thank you, Kakashi!" Pulling down his mask, she kissed him passionately. Kakashi was very eager to deepen the kiss, but Sakura leaned back._

"_Hmm…I got you all wet, Kakashi. Maybe we should go take a nice shower now…I don't want you to catch a cold, you know," Sakura smiled that evil smile of hers._

"_Can't oppose to that," the Copy Ninja replied lifting her up and carrying her to his bathroom, as Sakura chuckled._

His feet took him to where his memory led. Now he was standing in the bathroom gazing around. Everything was where they had left it. His gaze stopped at his bathtub, where his dry blood lingered.

"_Jeez, Kakashi! Will you ever learn not to overdo it?" Sakura lectured him, while stitching a wound on his arm._

"_Sorry, Sakura," he smiled smugly at her, "But I wouldn't want to miss a chance of being treated by my personal, favorite medic."_

_Sakura only snorted._

_When she fixed Kakashi, she got up from the floor and he from the edge of the bathtub. That was almost a ritual for them, when Kakashi came back from a mission injured. They nearly always ended up in the bathroom._

"_See? This happens, when you are too careless during a mission," Sakura pointed to the edge of the bathtub, where some of his blood flowed down, "I just cleaned everything this morning. How are you going to make up for that?" She asked crossing her arms under her chest._

"_Oh? Hmm…I think I just came up with something," Kakashi said._

_He took a step forwards and lifted Sakura's chin before kissing her. While his hunger for her was growing, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. Once he put her on his bed, she purred against his mouth, "I think I might like that."_

_Kakashi could only growl, since his lust wouldn't allow him to form a whole sentence._

Now he was standing in his bedroom. His gaze lingered on the crinkled blanket. It was like she wasn't gone at all. He could still feel her presence. He could still smell her. He closed his eyes in order to concentrate on her. It felt like she would call him at any time.

"Kakashi," he heard a female voice calling.

With one quick movement, he turned to where the voice came from.

"Sakura?" He asked into the following silence. As he went out of the bedroom to the living room, he felt tears running down his cheeks.

He was sure that he had heard her just now. She had called him. He was sure of it!

"Sakura?" He wasn't going mad! He had heard her!

He listened carefully.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Right at that moment he snapped. From one second to the other all of his hurt, agony, and sorrow overflowed and he snapped. He ran to the clock crying and screaming at once and snatched it off the wall throwing it against the opposite wall. In his rage, he destroyed everything, which was in his way. He threw everything, which could be thrown and crashed everything, which could be crashed. In a few minutes, Kakashi had devastated almost his whole apartment. When he came to his bedroom again, he intended to rage there too, but as soon as he saw his bed, his screams, and cries turned to uncontrollable sobs. Now that his rage subsided slowly, his sorrow got the upper hand.

He wobbled to his bed and let himself fall onto it. He tried to calm down, but it was senseless. The moment his head lay on his pillow, he knew that his sobs wouldn't end soon. Her smell lingered on his pillow.

Only her smell.

The person who left it there was gone.

Kakashi tried to suffocate his cries and sobs with the pillow, but failed. He was sure that everyone could hear him even through the thick walls. But it didn't matter anymore.

Nothing mattered anymore for him.

Minato was about to knock on Kakashi's front door, since he heard how Kakashi destroyed his home. The Hokage was about to enter, when he suddenly noticed that Kakashi's cries turned to something else. Something, which made his heart, throb in pain. His student's sobs where poison for Minato. He couldn't stand being so helpless. But it was true. He couldn't help Kakashi now. He wouldn't even listen to him, if he tried to explain the situation.

Slowly Minato sat down in front of Kakashi's door and listened to his sobbing. The most painful thing for the Yondaime was that Kakashi was about to lose to his agony. Yes. He was losing to it.

As Minato sat there and listened silently, his own tears started to trail down his cheeks.

_This is what time did to them, _he thought crying.


	2. Believe it!

2

Believe it!

There are two ways of dying.

One way of dying is that your body dies. Sometimes people would prefer that way rather than the other one. Although your body can bear many things, there is a line, which you mustn't cross. If you do, cross it, your body gives in and you stop existing physically.

The other way of dying is when your heart and soul dies. When that happens, everything what will remain is a lifeless pall. Are you wondering why it is lifeless even if it is alive? You see, there is nothing in the world, which seems to make sense to you anymore if your heart is gone. The moment you are consumed by emptiness, you stop existing emotionally and become a lifeless pall of yourself.

As I just said, most people would prefer the first way of dying, but those who ended up with the second way simply didn't care about anything anymore. There was only sadness and emptiness left for them in the world and the way they handled it was different.

After the Kyuubi had been defeated by a pink haired heroine, the villagers of Konoha were brought back from Waterfall. There was another funeral for those who wanted to say goodbye to their beloved ones one last time, since many ninjas had died, when the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha. And although all of this happened three weeks ago, you could still feel the sorrow throughout Konoha.

"Minato?" A feminine voice asked.

With that, the Fourth was brought back to reality and looked up into the eyes of his girlfriend.

"Kushina," he sighed getting up from his chair behind the desk in the Hokage office and stepped around it in order to reach out for her.

"You were so deep in thoughts that you didn't even hear me knocking on your door, so I just entered," she said while he was giving her a soft hug, so that he didn't crash what lied in Kushina's arms sleeping.

"How is he?" Minato asked looking down lovingly at his son.

"Sound asleep as you can see," she answered smiling brightly.

Slowly the Yondaime touched his son's cheek and caressed it so very lightly that Kushina wondered if he knew that his son wasn't made of glass. But the baby could feel the soft caress of his father nonetheless, as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Did you sleep well, Naruto?" Minato asked playfully, before making some funny faces in order to get his son laughing at him.

"You know, Naruto is just three weeks old. There is a high possibility of you scaring him with those faces you pull," Kushina said chuckling.

"My son isn't scared of anything. Am I right, Naruto?" The Hokage said proudly and started to tickle his son lightly, but Naruto only looked around the room as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

After a few seconds, Minato straightened up and was immediately in Hokage mode again. Before Kushina could ask what was wrong, the Yondaime said, "Come in."

In that moment, two Anbus appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room only two meters away from the family. They both were on their knees with their heads down.

"Hokage-sama, the autopsy has been finished for a few minutes. We are awaiting further orders," a woman's voice said behind the mask.

Minato nodded, "Good. I want you to escort Fugaku-san to the morgue. And make sure nobody sees you go there. And don't bring anyone else except for him, do you understand?"

The Anbus only nodded and after Minato dismissed them, they disappeared the same way as they had appeared a minute ago. Kushina looked at her boyfriend with a questioning look in her eyes.

"It has been confirmed that the man behind the attack and whom I killed is Uchiha Madara. Now I want to induct Fugaku-san into all that. Maybe I can prevent the Coup d'État the Uchiha Clan will be plotting, before they even know anything about it. Just like Sakura -," Minato stopped the explanation and Kushina knew why.

She knew that Minato had felt guilty because of what happened to Sakura. He had believed her, when she had told him that she would survive the attack, but he had thought that she had meant it literally. He hadn't thought at that time that her younger self would survive the attack and that the older Sakura had meant that by saying she would survive it. Now Sakura was gone and Minato didn't know if the younger version of her would ever remember what she had done to save the village or if she would ever remember her relationship with Kakashi. But Minato doubted it since the younger and older Sakura were two different people.

"You know, this is actually the reason why I came by," Kushina said looking into Minato's eyes. "Have you seen Kakashi lately?"

The Hokage only shook his head slowly.

"I am really worried about him, Minato," she continued, "His behavior is anything but normal. When I last saw him at the funeral he was like a living corpse," she sighed.

"Yes, I know. I'll visit him after the issue with Fugaku is solved," he promised her.

Minato turned around, went to his chair behind the desk, and sat down again leaning back.

"Maybe you should try to tell Kakashi the truth. He would surely feel better, if he knew Sakura was still alive," the red haired woman in front of him said not quite believing it herself, but the Hokage only nodded.

At the morgue

When Minato arrived at the morgue, Fugaku was already waiting for him there. Now that they both stood in front of a room, where Madara's corpse had been examined, Fugaku asked in a slightly annoyed tone, "I hope this is important, Hokage-sama, because I don't like it if I am escorted by an Anbu squad as if I am a convict."

"I am sorry for the trouble I caused, Fugaku-san, but the circumstances called for strict secrecy," the Hokage told him calmly.

"Which circumstances? Considering where we are at the moment, I suspect that these circumstances aren't positive in any way," the Uchiha said with narrowed eyes.

"You are right," Minato said before dismissing the Anbu squad who was still waiting behind Fugaku, "Please, follow me."

The Hokage turned towards the room, which they were standing in front of, and entered it with the Uchiha policeman following him inside. As they were standing on each side of the table, where a corpse was lying under a blanket, Fugaku looked at Minato expecting an explanation from the Yondaime.

"In front of you, lies the man who was behind the Kyuubi attack three weeks ago, Fugaku-san. I want to know if you recognize him," Minato explained removing the blanket from the corpse's head revealing the uncovered face of Uchiha Madara.

Fugaku's eyes widened as soon as he saw the man lying in front of him. Of course, he recognized him! He was the founder of the Uchiha Clan after all!

"That can't be!" Fugaku gasped in horror, "He should be long dead! He couldn't possibly live that long!"

Minato covered Madara's face with the blanket again.

"The medics aren't sure how he managed to live that long, but they suspect that he used some kind of forbidden jutsu," he explained.

"And you seriously tell me that he was behind the attack of the Kyuubi? So he was the one you were talking about, when you told us about Jiraya's mission with that little brat. Madara was the one who was controlling the Kyuubi?"

Although Fugaku asked all these questions, Minato was sure that he knew the answers already and even believed him. The Hokage could sense the Uchiha's rage, but there was also something else, which he sensed.

Shame.

"Fugaku-san, let me tell you that I have no intention to tell anyone about all this," the Hokage promised.

"Then why did you tell me? Why not just hiding the fact that it was an Uchiha who betrayed the village?" The black haired Jonin asked incredulously.

"I think we both know that something has to change in Konoha, so that the Uchiha Clan and the Elders and I can get along with each other. And this is the first step I made in order to accomplish a new system."

"A new system?"

"Yes. I have decided that from next week onwards decisions won't be made by only me and the elders. I want that each Clan in Konoha elects two representatives who will have to help me in political issues. I think that will be the best way that there is a good communication between me and the Clans themselves," Minato smiled at the man in front of him.

Fugaku just bowed his head in gratitude without saying a word, but the Yondaime understood him even without words.

The first step to a new and hopefully better era has been made that day and Minato was confident that the future of Konoha would be a brighter one than Sakura had come from. Now there was only one thing left to do for Minato. To make the future of his own student brighter.

At Kakashi's

Kakashi lied in his bed wide-awake and still wearing his ninja clothes, he put on one day ago. While he was lying there, he noticed something. Something which made his heart hurt even more than it already was. His tears rolled down his cheeks silently. Kakashi even wondered how it was possible for him to have tears left he could shed for his loss, since he has been crying everyday for three weeks now.

"Kakashi?" A male voice asked from the bedroom door.

As Kakashi faced the opposite direction in his bed, he didn't recognize the person who just entered his bedroom at once. But slowly he noticed the familiar chakra of his teacher.

"Sorry to intrude, Kakashi, but since you didn't open the door, I just let myself in," Minato smiled at Kakashi's back which the Copy Ninja, of course, didn't see.

The Copy Ninja didn't even hear someone knocking on his door - not that he intended to open it if he had, but this only proved that he didn't give a damn about what happened around him anymore.

Minato crossed the room, as he didn't get any reaction out of Kakashi and sat down on the bed beside him. Sighing the Hokage began to talk calmly again as if he was smoothing Kakashi.

"Listen, son. I won't lie to you by saying that I know what you are going through right now. Hell, I don't have the slightest idea how you must feel after such a loss. Considering it wasn't the first time for you to lose someone dear to you makes it only worse, I think. But you must know that you'll kill yourself if you continue -"

Before Minato could finish that sentence, Kakashi interrupted him.

"Sensei," he mumbled, "It is gone."

"What's gone?" Minato asked.

Without turning around Kakashi continued mumbling in his pillow.

"Her scent is gone. And I can't remember it. I - I can't," he lost his voice.

Minato sighed quietly. He couldn't bear to lose Kakashi to his agony.

"Kakashi, what would you say if I told you that Sakura is alive?" The Hokage asked noticing that Kakashi went completely still. It was like a déjà vu for the Hokage since he said something like that to Kakashi, when Sakura had defeated the Kyuubi.

The Copy Ninja didn't move nor did it seem like he was even breathing. That's why the Yondaime was surprised, when Kakashi actually answered, although he didn't turn around to face his teacher.

"Minato," another surprise for the Hokage. It was extremely unusual for Kakashi to address his mentor without any suffix.

"I held her in my arms, when she drew her last breath. I held her to my chest, when her heartbeat slowed down until it ended completely. I held her, when her warmth left her body," Kakashi slowly sat up and was finally facing his sensei with a teary and yet angry gaze, "I fucking held her, when she died! Now tell me again that she is alive!"

Minato knew that the last sentence was only rhetorical, but he still dared to say it.

"Sakura is still alive, Kakashi," Minato knew that he was playing with fire at that moment, but he simply had to try it with the truth.

Kakashi laughed quietly, but it wasn't at all amused. For a second Minato thought that Kakashi was losing his mind, but he didn't want to believe that. For crying out loud! This was Kakashi in front of him - the fourteen-year-old jonin who managed to get through his father's death, when he was four and he even got through his teammates' death over a year ago.

"Out"

At first Minato thought that he had just imagined that Kakashi had said something, but when he looked at his student, he knew that Kakashi had just told him to get lost.

"Believe it or not, Kakashi, but I want you to know that I tell the truth and that Sakura is indeed alive. When you are ready to talk to me about it properly, then you know where to find me," Minato said calmly.

"Out! Now" Kakashi threatened again lightening forming in his right hand.

Minato turned around and went to the door, but stopped for a second.

"You know, Kakashi, your life would be so much easier for you to bear, if you just believed," the Hokage told him without turning around, but he could hear the growl from Kakashi's throat.

Minato closed his eyes and thought that maybe he had already lost his student to his agony. Maybe it was already too late for him to turn back now.

After the Hokage had left, Kakashi exploded - figurative of course. His rage was there again and he snapped like he did three weeks ago. His Chidori, which was already formed in his hand pierced through his bed with one stroke. There was nothing of her left in his damn apartment. And he wasn't even able to remember her fucking scent!

This time nothing could stop Kakashi. Hell, he couldn't even stop himself. But now that there was nothing left in his home, he didn't see any sense in keeping anything whole.

And he fucking didn't see any sense in believing! Minato let him choose to believe him or not and Kakashi decided to not believe anything. That was how Kakashi wanted it. This was how it was supposed to be, wasn't it?


	3. Time is a great healer

3

Time is a great healer

"Kakashi, I know that I have been asking you the same thing for almost six years now, but I simply have to keep bugging you," Minato said with an almost pleading tone in his voice. "Don't you want to resign from Anbu? Kushina would feel a lot better, if you didn't risk your life each day."

"I have told you so many times already. I won't quit any time soon. It is like being an Anbu is my vocation. Please tell your wife not to worry, Sensei," Kakashi answered him with a carefree smile under his mask.

Almost six years have passed already, since the fatal day, when the nine-tailed fox had suddenly appeared just like Sakura had predicted. After she had stopped that murderous attack by sealing the Kyuubi away, she had died shortly after, but not before promising Kakashi to meet him again in the future. When Minato had wanted to tell the (back then still) fourteen-year-old boy the truth about Haruno Sakura, the Copy Ninja had refused to listen to anything related to her. Even now, that subject was very delicate for Kakashi, so that Minato hasn't dared to bring it up since that day, when Kakashi had ended up in rage.

Minato and Kushina had been afraid that he could have laid hands upon himself, however, they had been more than surprised, as the Copy Ninja had come to them one month after that incident apologizing wholeheartedly to his Sensei. It had been a great relief for Kushina to see Kakashi talking to them again, but Minato had already known at that time that it had been too good to last.

As Kakashi had begun to act like nothing had ever happened, the Hokage had become wary of his intentions, since his behavior had been very odd - even by Kakashi's standards. Nobody - not even the stoic Copy Ninja - could have pretended that he hadn't lost the love of his life two months prior. Therefore, Minato had wondered why his student had acted that way, until he had come to know the reason.

Around that time, the silver-haired boy had registered for the Anbu exams and he had actually passed them. Of course, Minato would have kept Kakashi from doing that, but by the time he had found out, what Kakashi had done, it had already been too late. Once a ninja has passed the Anbu exams, there was no going back from then. The only way of getting out of Anbu was to resign.

Well, guess how many times Kakashi has already done that.

"Kakashi," Minato sighed in defeat. "Could you at least take missions, where you'll work in a squad? That would set my mind at rest."

The Hokage leaned back in the chair at his desk looking up into his student's eye(s) expectantly. Although this was a serious issue, that carefree smile didn't leave Kakashi's face even for a second. Even Minato could tell that this was just another mask his student was wearing, and he knew that behind this mask of carelessness had been sorrow, a certain death wish, or even both.

"I'll take it into consideration," Kakashi grinned canny.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Minato sighed heavily while he was shaking his head slowly. "Kakashi."

"How is Naruto doing, Sensei?" the Copy Ninja asked only to take the Hokage's mind off that subject and it worked perfectly.

Just then, as Minato had heard his son's name, his pride was shown all over his face.

"He's doing pretty well. He has been attending the ninja academy for three weeks now and Iruka told me that he passed the exercises with flying colours so far. Of course, par for the course of my son," he almost beamed with pride.

The Fourth could have continued telling Kakashi stories about his son, if it wasn't for the excited knocking on the door.

"Speak of the devil," Kakashi smiled, as Minato told the visitor to enter.

"Dad! You are late for lunch! Mom's going to kick your ass for that," Naruto grinned devilishly at his father, when he entered the room. "Oh, hi, Kakashi-sensei!" the blond waved at the Copy Ninja.

Kakashi has been trying for years now to talk Naruto out of that suffix, but it has never worked. For the blond boy it was only natural to call Kakashi like that, since he taught Naruto many useful things.

The Copy Ninja waved back with a simple "Hi" and was yet again amazed by the ridiculous similarity between Minato and his son. They shared the same yellow, spiky hair, the same blue eyes, and even the same features. But whereas Minato came to loath a certain noodle dish, Naruto loved it idolatrously. In that matter, he absolutely took after his mother.

"Naruto, how many times do I have to tell you that you mustn't swear?" although it was a rhetorical question, Naruto answered nonetheless, either because he didn't know it or he didn't care. But considering his age, he probably didn't know it.

"But Mom always swears at you." He looked like a lost puppy, who didn't know why he wasn't allowed to do what his mom did.

Minato sighed not able to get into the role of the strict father. "Yes, but that is your mom's privilege," he came around the desk and picked his son up.

"What's a prilige?" the blond boy asked not even noticing that he had missed a syllable.

"A privilege is … well, that's when you are allowed to do something."

Naruto fell silent for a few seconds as if he was deep in thought, when he opened his mouth again, "So I am not allowed to say what Mom says?"

"Exactly," Minato grinned at his son.

"So I am also not allowed to deliver messages from Mom to you?" Naruto asked innocently.

"Of course you are, as long as you don't swear."

"No swearing, I promise," Naruto crossed his fingers in front of him. "But I didn't know that you were rich, Dad."

"What makes you think that, boy?" Minato looked at his son bewildered.

"Mom said, that she is going to crush your family jewels, if you don't hurry home for lunch," Naruto wrinkled his brow, while his father's eyes widened with fear. "But maybe she has already found them and is about to hide them from you or even destroy them."

Of course, Naruto had no idea, what that innuendo meant; however, the Hokage and Kakashi had understood very clearly, what Kushina wanted to tell her husband with that. With more than one drop of sweat running down his face, Minato turned to Kakashi and paled.

"Sorry, Kakashi, but I really have to go now."

Kakashi nodded. "Good luck, Sensei."

Naruto had waved goodbye to Kakashi, before he turned his attention back to his father again, while they were walking out of the office.

"Don't worry, Dad. I will always love you, even when you are as poor as a church mouse."

Minato's paces got quicker until Kakashi couldn't sense them anymore. So Kakashi left the office, too and made his way through the bustling streets of Konoha, as a female voice called his name.

"Kakashi-san? Is that you?"

Kakashi was in front of the Yamanaka flower shop, as a woman and a little girl came out of it. He knew the woman. But at that moment, he simply couldn't imagine where he had met her before. Furthermore, he wondered how she had recognized him with his mask on -

Shit!

He had forgotten to put his Anbu mask back on his face!

'Great, Kakashi! Just scream out that you are a member of Anbu,' he thought irritated by himself.

"Do you remember me? My name is Nadeshiko Haruno," she introduced herself.

And that was when the memory hit him.

"_AAAAAAHHHH!"_

_Sakura and Kakashi pushed slightly away from each other as soon as they heard that scream which was apparently a woman's scream._

"_Shall we?" Kakashi asked smiling while putting his mask back up._

_Sakura nodded and then they ran to where the scream came from. Stopping in an alley, they saw a woman lying on the ground panting heavily._

_Sakura was immediately in medic mode and asked approaching her:_

"_What happened?" as Sakura sat next to her she gasped, but the heavy rain drowned the sound._

"_My - my baby…you have to help me- my baby is coming," the woman winced._

"_What happened?" a nurse in the hospital asked alarmed by the blood Nadeshiko was covered with._

_Kakashi was carrying her and Sakura stabilized her head in his arms, as they came running through the hospital entrance._

"_She stumbled in an alley, which caused the first labors! And now she is more or less unconscious!" Sakura explained in a hurry._

"_What intervals are the labors coming at?" the nurse asked while she showed them the way to the delivery ward._

"_At less than 3 minutes intervals," Sakura breathed out._

"_Out of the way! We have an emergency! And call a midwife to the delivery ward!" the nurse shouted to another one who stood in the corridor checking some files._

"_It would be too long until a midwife would finally make it here! I will play that role now!" _

_The nurse just stared at Sakura opening the door to the delivery room. Kakashi rushed inside with Nadeshiko wincing in his arms and Sakura right next to them._

"_Girlie, you did a great job until now, but there is no way-"_

_Sakura didn't give her the chance to finish her sentence, as she snapped at her. "I am more capable as any other medic you have in this house!"_

_Kakashi laid Nadeshiko down on the bed and stepped aside to vacate some space for his medic girlfriend. _

"_You can't do this! I will call the Hokage! I will-" the nurse hurried over to stay in her way, so that Sakura wasn't able to do anything._

"_Kakashi," Sakura growled. _

_The Copy Ninja understood what she wanted him to do and dragged the loud woman out of the room hissing, "She knows what she is doing!"_

_All of a sudden, he heard Nadeshiko crying out loud._

"Kakashi? Is everything alright?"

Mrs. Haruno's worried voice brought Kakashi back to reality. He blinked twice, took a deep breath, and cleared his mind again from those memories.

"I am sorry. Yes, I do remember you, Mrs. Haruno," he smiled warmly at her.

"Although I haven't seen you in years, I must say that you haven't changed at all. Maybe your features matured, but other than that I can still see that fourteen-year-old boy in you," she eyed him up from head to toe. "And now you are a member of Anbu."

"Mom, who is he?"

Only now did Kakashi notice the little girl, who half hid herself behind her mother. The moment he looked down, his breath was pushed out of his lungs. He didn't believe what he saw. For a second he considered to slap himself in order to make sure that he was not dreaming. But in front of him stood a little girl with ridiculous pink hair and turquoise-green eyes.

"Oh sorry, sweetheart. Sakura, this is Kakashi Hatake. Without his help six years ago, both of us would probably not be here today," Nadeshiko told her daughter with a grateful tone.

"It wasn't me who helped you back then," Kakashi said with a woeful voice, but only a second after that he kneeled down and smiled at Sakura. "Hello, Sakura. Nice to meet you."

She looked away sheepishly and blushing, as she gripped her mother's skirt a little tighter and stepped even closer to her mother. Nadeshiko was about to scold her daughter for not greeting him properly, but before she could do so a ninja appeared next to her.

"Arashi," she smiled at her husband.

"Dad," Sakura exclaimed hugging her father's thighs.

"Hello, my girls," he smiled at them giving Nadeshiko a quick kiss on her cheek, after ruffling Sakura's hair. "Hey Kakashi." Arashi greeted.

"Arashi-san." Kakashi nodded.

Arashi looked at Nadeshiko. "How fast can you get packed up?"

"Another mission?" she asked incredulous glancing down at Sakura. "You know that it's impossible this time. Sakura's babysitter is on vacation and we don't have anybody to watch after her while we are gone," she sighed.

"But I can't take the mission without you, darling, and we need that mission." Arashi was about to say 'money', but he could stop himself just in time. He didn't want to worry Sakura and neither did he want to blurt their financial problems out in front of Kakashi.

Confused by their conversation Sakura looked from her mother to her father again. When she was about to suggest that she could stay at home alone, Kakashi beat her to it.

"I could take care of Sakura, while you two are gone. I have just finished a mission and Minato-sensei condemned me to a two-week-vacation."

Arashi and Nadeshiko looked at each other, when Nadeshiko nodded and looked at Kakashi at last.

"Thank you, Kakashi. Of course, we will pay you once we'll get back."

"You can try, but I won't take your money," Kakashi grinned at them.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I owe you something." Arashi had placed a hand on the Copy Ninja's shoulder, before he turned to Sakura again and kissed her on the top of her head saying goodbye. With a quick 'See you at the gates' in Nadeshiko's direction, Arashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Thanks again, Kakashi. I'll drop by with Sakura and a few things for her in the next fifteen minutes. I assume that you still live where you used to live six years ago." Nadeshiko asked.

Kakashi nodded smiling and waved goodbye to her and Sakura. "See you in a bit."

After Kakashi had made a few steps towards his apartment, he heard Nadeshiko call after him, which made him stop in his tracks.

"I hope you'll find your happiness again, Kakashi, which can help you with your scars!"

Kakashi knew that she hadn't talked about visible scars on his body, but on his soul. Slowly he bowed his head in her direction and looked at her ruefully.

"Time is a great healer, Mrs. Haruno."

Then he went away.


	4. Nothing has been changed, just rearrange

4

Nothing has been changed, just rearranged

'They should be here any minute,' Kakashi thought, while he was pacing around in his apartment picking up a shirt from the floor and throwing it into the laundry basket in his bathroom.

He looked around the rooms one last time, when he stopped his pacing in the living room. Frowning he went towards the sofa and sat down. After about ten seconds, his right foot started tipping on the floor in a steady rhythm. Kakashi sighed crossing his feet at the ankles and leaning his head against the backrest. When he noticed that his index finger had started tipping on the armrest, he groaned exaggeratedly crossing his arms in front of his chest. The Copy Ninja looked at the ceiling and then at the clock behind him on the wall.

He could have sworn that it had already been quarter past three five minutes prior! It seemed as if time was slowing down. If Kakashi didn't know any better, he would say that he had been nervous. Fortunately, he knew better!

Damn! Everything seemed to annoy him that day. First, there was Minato trying to convince him to resign from Anbu for the umpteenth time. Then there was Nadeshiko Haruno who had reminded him of a part of his part which he believed to have sealed away. And finally yet importantly, there was him, who had offered to play babysitter for a six-year-old girl for a couple of days.

But actually, he wasn't annoyed. He **was **nervous. And that very six-year-old girl made him feel like that.

Kakashi closed his eyes and pictured her again. But no matter how many times he did that, the mental image didn't show the little girl, but the sixteen-year-old girl who had died six years prior.

'That's ridiculous!' he hissed quietly.

Before that creepy thought of Sakura having been reincarnated could jell, Kakashi's logic banished it as fast as it had come up. If that little girl, who looked just like his late girlfriend, really was the baby Nadeshiko had given birth to that rainy day, and then it was impossible, that little Sakura could be the reincarnation of his Sakura, since she had been still alive back then.

Sighing once more, he tried to relax a little bit, but -

Just as he heard the knocking on the front door, Kakashi almost jumped up from the sofa forgetting completely that he had crossed his feet at the ankles before and fell over with a loud 'THUMP'.

'You are so pathetic, Kakashi Hatake,' he scolded himself, before he heard a worried voice.

"Is everything alright, Kakashi?"

"Yeah! Just a chair tumbling down! Nothing serious!" He told Nadeshiko, while getting up from the floor. "Just a second."

Once he was on his feet again, he stepped through the hallway towards the front door and opened it.

"Hey," he greeted Nadeshiko and Sakura with a smile on his face.

Nadeshiko nodded also smiling and kneeled down in front of her daughter, who had a backpack on her back and a teddy bear in her arms squeezing him.

"Be a good girl, while we are gone and behave yourself, honey," Nadeshiko said to Sakura caressing her small cheek.

"Alright, mommy," Sakura's voice was very quiet.

After Nadeshiko had placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead, she got p and turned to Kakashi again.

"Thanks again, Kakashi. I hope she won't be a bother to you," she said humbly.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Haruno. I am sure that we'll have a great time together," the Copy Ninja assured her winking at Sakura and earned a very cute blush from the little girl.

Nadeshiko smiled relieved ruffling Sakura's hair lightly.

"Okay, honey. See you in a couple of days," her mother said and was about to turn around, when Sakura caught her trousers and asked timidly.

"You promise that you'll be back?"

That phrase made Kakashi wonder, if Sakura didn't want to be with him or if she was afraid of him, but one look at her face and he could tell right away that she was simply worried about her parents.

"Of course, honey," Nadeshiko promised with a quick goodbye kiss and then she was off.

Kakashi looked down at Sakura's back, and couldn't help but think that she looked like her parents had just abandoned her. The backpack was on her back and she squeezed her teddy bear. This was the picture of an abandoned child.

As soon as Sakura turned around, Kakashi stepped aside and bowed.

"After you, please, princess."

The little girl giggled and went inside with Kakashi following her. Once she took off her shoes, she waited with her back against the wall. The Copy Ninja closed the front door and turned around to find Sakura pressed against the wall. Apparently, she waited for him to lead her into the apartment.

"Let me show you everything," Kakashi walked past her and smiled, when she followed him immediately.

After he had shown her almost each room, he opened a door to a room, which he had prepared within ten minutes, before his little guest arrived.

"And this will be your room for the next couple of days," he told her stepping inside waiting for Sakura to follow him.

Once she was also in the room, he continued to explain her that she could put her clothes in the empty closet opposite of her bed.

Sakura looked around the room for a few seconds and then she glanced sheepishly at Kakashi, who didn't miss it.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"May I ask you something?" she couldn't manage to look him in the eye for longer than one second.

Kakashi almost had to chuckle because of her shyness, but he held back; since he thought that it would probably only worsen the status of her shyness.

"Of course," he answered with a smile.

He imagined that she wanted to know something of what she was allowed to do and what she wasn't, but he didn't reckon with what she asked.

"Are you the famous Copy Ninja?"

Kakashi's eye widened, which didn't go unnoticed by Sakura.

"I - I'm sorry!" she bowed her head. "It was rude of me asking that all of a sudden."

Kakashi hunkered down in front of Sakura and smiled brightly at her.

"You don't have to apologize, Sakura. It wasn't rude at all. I was just surprised that you have heard of me," he explained.

She glanced at him through her bangs, curiosity showing in her gaze.

"Iruka-sensei told us about you the day before yesterday," she said. "But he didn't tell us your name. Everything he told us was that you have the bloodline limit of the Uchiha Clan, the Sharingan. And when I noticed that you didn't open your left eye even once, I just wondered if **you **were the famous ninja, who got that eye."

Kakashi's smile only widened. "Are you afraid of me now?" he asked playfully.

Sakura shook her head and the teddy, which she was still holding, was shaken by her movements.

"I just feel like I am staying with a celebrity," the sheepish smile returned to her face, as she walked past Kakashi towards her bed and placed her teddy and her backpack on it.

The Copy Ninja was very surprised, when Sakura mentioned Iruka because this meant that she was a student of the Ninja Academy. She was actually going to be a kunoichi.

Getting up Kakashi asked her "What would you normally do, if you were at home, Sakura? I don't want to keep you from anything."

Sakura turned around and beamed at him. It was obvious that she was happy or even relieved that he had asked.

"I love reading!"

Kakashi raised his eyebrows surprised. "You can read? Haven't you just started school this year?"

Without hesitation, she answered happily. "Mommy has been teaching me to read and write for two years now."

He was impressed. Now he knew that he had been talking to a little genius. Amazed with the girl in front of him, Kakashi walked out of the room offering to show her his little library, which consisted of two shelves above his bed on the wall of the bedroom with 13 books. He lifted Sakura on his bed, since she was too timid to crawl on it. As she picked the novel 'Tales of a Ninja' written by Jiraya, Kakashi picked a book himself and winked at Sakura.

"Can't let you enjoy yourself all alone, can I?"

Slowly he sat down on the bed and gestured for her to sit down beside him, which she gladly did. Apparently, she couldn't wait to start reading. It took her only a few minutes and then she was literally drawn into the story of the book. The Copy Ninja noticed that the world around her stopped existing for her. There could be a typhoon and she wouldn't notice it, probably.

Smiling he began to read his book as well. It was also a book written by Jiraya. Actually, it was one of his 'Icha Icha' novels, which Kakashi swore he would never read, but he had noticed too late that once you started it, you wouldn't be able to stop. Suddenly something came to his mind - a memory.

"_You're back!" Sakura cheered staring in this familiar black uncovered eye._

"_Have you ever doubted that?" Kakashi asked teasingly. _

"_Not for one second," she smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly._

_Just as he embraced her, too, a familiar voice said behind Kakashi. "Jeez, Kakashi, yet you have a girlfriend, but you don't read my books? It would be good for you, you know, since you could get a few advises from them."_

_Kakashi exhaled deeply. "For the last time: I don't need any porn."_

_Minato approached them giggling._

"_Are you still trying to persuade Kakashi to read your books?"_

"_He just doesn't know what he will miss," Jiraya grinned._

Kakashi shook his head lightly to get rid of these flashbacks. Unwelcome flashbacks nonetheless! This had been the second memory that very day. This was like his subconscious was about to get control over his conscious.

"You're reading that porn novel after all, Kakashi," a little criticism, but also amusement could be heard in that voice.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist - ," suddenly he broke off in the middle of the sentence and looked up to where the voice came from.

Sakura still sat, where she had sat down before, and was still caught up in reading, as if she had never spoken to him.

"Sakura, what have you just said?" Kakashi asked wondering if he had just imagined that.

The little girl looked up, but she seemed to be very distracted by the book. "I haven't said anything." She told him and kept on reading.

Now he was sure that he had just imagined that. Damn, those creepy memories! Already giving him hallucinations!

Kakashi had just wanted to close his eye for a few seconds to clear his mind, but when he opened his eye again, he noticed that he had dozed off. He wanted to apologize to Sakura for falling asleep; however, he stopped, as he saw her sleeping next to him with her tiny arms around his biceps. He watched her sleeping and noticed that her eyes moved behind her eyelids. She was dreaming.

As she was lying there next to him, it seemed as if a smaller version of Sakura was lying next to him. Everything was so strange at that moment. For Kakashi it felt like time was messing with him. It was like nothing has ever been changed. Only the pawns in the game of life have been rearranged.


	5. Who is that girl?

5

Who is that girl?

Kakashi woke up, when the first sunlight of that morning crawled slowly into his bedroom. Though he was only half-awake, he knew that it couldn't have been later than six o'clock, but he also knew the minute he opened his eyes that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Now he was awake and very much aware to the little body still clinging to his right arm. Glancing down at the sleeping Sakura, he couldn't stop the smile appearing on his face. She really reminded him of _her_ and yet -

_Without thinking, Sakura leaned forward and put her lips on his taking him off guard. But after a moment, he also leaned into her and closed his eyes as well as Sakura._

_This kiss was different from the one they had shared in the afternoon. This one was much more passionate. Kakashi leaned his head to the left guiding Sakura into another kiss. As soon as the Copy Ninja slightly opened his mouth, she did the same allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. There was nothing in the world, which could be compared to this feeling building up inside of Sakura. One kiss followed the other, but Kakashi wouldn't let go of her lips…not even when their lungs started to beg for oxygen. _

_Sakura started to pant heavily trying to get a hold of herself, however, this feeling began to overwhelm her. Inside her, she could feel this strange, familiar sensation she has already felt before four months ago, when Kakashi had sneaked into her room. But now this sensation was so intense and it seemed as if not only Sakura but also Kakashi was feeling that way even though not as intensive as her. _

_Each caress of Kakashi's lips brought her closer to the edge, where she would lose herself. She lifted herself from his lap a bit and sat down on it again in order to stabilize herself. The moment she sat down again, Kakashi moaned quietly against her mouth. That sound was enough for her to drive her over the edge. Sakura drowned in the waves of pleasure._

"_Sakura," Kakashi whispered._

_Her forehead rested on Kakashi's shoulder while she was panting more than before. Sakura couldn't bear to look him in the eye because of two reasons._

_First: She was still recovering from this unbelievable sensation and had no strength to lift her head._

_Second: She was too embarrassed._

"_Sakura, did you just-?"_

"_I'm sorry," she mumbled turning red._

_Kakashi chuckled._

"_What's so funny?" Sakura whined even more embarrassed._

"_You…apologizing about something like this," he started to kiss her neck._

"_Hmm, Kakashi," she purred._

_He moved his index finger from her neck down to her lower back only slightly touching her, which made her shiver. Her body was on fire again. Even Kakashi could notice that. But he was the last to complain about it. He pressed his lips on her ear and whispered seductively._

"_Shall we go to the bedroom?"_

"…_Yes."_

_Kakashi stood up from the sofa with Sakura's legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck. Once they had reached the bed, he laid her down on the soft mattress and loosened her grip around his neck._

"_What are you doing?" Sakura asked confused why she had to let go of him._

_Kakashi could only smirk at her reaction and said happily. "Well, this will be difficult if we don't get out of our clothes, don't you think?"_

_With that, he earned another blush from her._

_After a minute, they were both out of their clothes and Kakashi slowly crawled on top of her kissing her again like he had done before. All his nervousness was gone now._

_Two hours later the Copy Ninja lay in bed with his arms around his sleeping girlfriend and smiled contently. Without a doubt, that was the best night in his life. He still couldn't believe that he actually did it with Sakura and that he felt better now than he had ever felt before in his life. Of course, there were a few moments in his life, which made him fortunate, but they couldn't be compared with that night. And the best was that Sakura couldn't get enough of his body even in her sleep since she was caressing his shoulder and his back with her hand. She was so cuddly behind her façade of temper._

Kakashi's eyes flew open again stopping the images of his memory.

'Pull yourself together, Hatake! Sakura might be cuddly like your late girlfriend, but she doesn't have her temper! And that's where the similarities end!' Kakashi thought and looked down. 'And now I need a cold shower.'

Ever so slowly, he removed his right arm from her light grasp in order not to wake her up and crawled quietly out of his bed. He made his way into his bathroom, locked the door out of habit, and began to undress himself. Once he was out of his clothes, he stepped into the shower, but before he turned the water on, he sighed heavily.

"What have you done to me, Sakura?"

Sakura woke to the sound of the shower in the bathroom. Before opening her eyes, she turned around - away from the annoying sunlight mocking her sensitive and sleepy eyes. When she looked around the room, she didn't find any clock.

'That's strange. Mom and Dad always say that time is very important to ninjas. We have at least one clock in each room at home. Maybe he has a clock in one of the other rooms,' Sakura thought and got out of bed.

After making some stretching exercises, she had learned at school the other day she went out of the bedroom looking for a clock everywhere, but she couldn't find any. She was just about to get back to the bedroom, when she was stopped in the small corridor.

Kakashi turned the water off as his little problem caused by his fantasy…eh…memory was gone. The cold shower was helpful. He got out of the shower, dried himself, and put a new pair of trousers on which he had kept in the bathroom. As soon as he had them on Kakashi unlocked the door and opened it earning a surprised shriek.

The Copy Ninja stepped through the doorframe and saw that he had almost hit his little guest by opening the door. Sakura had made a step backwards just in time in order not to be hit by it.

"Sorry, Sakura," Kakashi apologized smiling down at her surprised face.

The only reaction he got from her was her gaping at him.

"Is everything alright?" He asked frowning.

Without hesitation, Sakura answered with a pout on her face. "You look better than my dad."

Only now Kakashi realized he didn't have his mask on and that it was the reason why Sakura was staring at him. But he didn't care at that moment. Her reaction was simply too cute. She had just acted like a typical little girl who worshiped her father and considered him the best father / ninja - and of course the best-looking man - in the world. And now here she was…standing in front of a man who was definitely more handsome and more famous than her own father, which made her pout at Kakashi.

Still smiling he asked. "What were you doing?"

Shaking her head Sakura looked to the ground. "I was looking for a clock. I don't want to be late or else Iruka-sensei will scold me."

"Don't worry. You still have more than an hour until your lessons at the academy will start. So…how about you'll get ready while I prepare breakfast?" He suggested.

Sakura nodded and stormed into her room to get her toothbrush and shampoo. Kakashi went to his bedroom, got fully dressed - mask included - and made his way to the kitchen in order to make breakfast.

Half an hour later, the Copy Ninja and Sakura were sitting in the kitchen and eating their breakfast silently. Well almost silently.

"May I ask you something?" Sakura asked like she had the day before.

Kakashi nodded chewing his toast.

"Why are you hiding behind that mask? There isn't anything on your face which you had to hide and yet you wear that mask," Sakura blushed looking down on her empty plate.

As for Kakashi…Although he knew that a new memory crawled into his mind he didn't stop it, but let himself be overwhelmed by it.

"_May I ask you one more question?" She asked touching his left cheek with her right hand._

"_Of course," he answered leaning into her touch and laying his left hand over hers._

"_Why are you wearing that mask, Kakashi? There is nothing on your face you have to hide…not even this scar is worth to hide," with her thumb, she stroked along the scar over his left eye._

_Smirking at her he tucked two fingers under the edge of his mask and pulled it down until the fabric lingered around his neck. This was the first time Sakura had the chance to enjoy this moment. Finally, she was able to see his face. Now it was not pouring and there was no woman nearby who could interrupt that special moment._

"_Really…you are absolutely handsome, Kakashi. I don't understand why-" She slightly caressed his cheek with the back of her hand._

"_When I was little, our neighbors were crazy about me. They always told me what a beautiful face I have. The worst about that was that they always pinched my cheek since I was so cute. Well, as it got too annoying I started to wear a mask…since then they haven't bothered me…not even once. And now it is just a habit to put on this mask every day," he smirked again._

_Sakura smiled down at him. _

The silver haired man swallowed his toast and smiled at Sakura. "I just don't want my enemies to know how I look like. Imagine there would be a picture of my whole face in the bingo book. I would be recognized everywhere I go."

Although that was a pathetic lie - since he already was recognized everywhere he went because of that mask and his silver hair - Sakura believed it. Furthermore, the lie was much cooler than the real reason.

"May I ask you something in return?" Kakashi asked politely.

The little pink haired girl nodded looking up.

"Why are _you_ hiding behind those bangs?"

After the words had been out of his mouth, Sakura froze. Kakashi, who had noticed her reaction, was about to say something again as she opened her mouth.

"I am always being mocked by some girls in my class. They ridicule me because of my huge forehead and I try to hide it, but they mock me nonetheless."

At first Kakashi was angry at those girls who were mocking Sakura, but as soon as he saw her sad face, he tried to cheer her up.

"Huge forehead? Hmm…I wouldn't give a damn about those blind girls. They are only jealous, Sakura. All I can see is a tiny mouth, a snub nose and two very beautiful, turquoise eyes," he said.

Sakura blushed in five shades of red and giggled. The fact that she was blushing because of each compliment made him wonder if she had received any compliments before.

"You're a pretty girl, Sakura. Don't let yourself down because of some jealous girls."

Sakura smiled sweetly at him. "Okay."

"Okay," Kakashi agreed. "I think it is about time I'll take you to the academy."

Sakura nodded and helped the Copy Ninja quickly cleaning the plates.

On the streets, Kakashi earned a few strange glances from the villagers. He wondered why they had eyed him in that way. When Sakura and Kakashi already were half way to the academy, a familiar voice called his name. Both of them stopped and the Copy Ninja turned around in time to see four ninjas jumping down the building next to him.

"Kakashi!"

The silver haired man smiled up at the Sanin and greeted him.

"Jiraya-sama," Kakashi nodded in his direction before turning to the other three ninjas. "Konan. Nagato. Yahiko," he greeted them all.

"I haven't seen you in ages, Kakashi! How are you? What are you doing?" Jiraya's face brightened up.

"Don't exaggerate, Jiraya-sama. We have only seen each other -" Kakashi stopped, when he noticed that he couldn't remember when he had seen the Sanin the last time.

"Whoa!"

Kakashi's head shot up and he noticed Jiraya's surprised expression, as he stared down to the little girl who was clinging to Kakashi's leg.

"Who is she?" Jiraya asked after a while. It sounded as if he knew who she was, but asked nonetheless.

"That's Sakura Haruno. Her parents are on a mission for a couple of days and I am taking care of her in the meantime," Kakashi explained and earned a cheeky grin from Jiraya. "Right now I am taking her to the academy."

The Sanin couldn't help but smile at Kakashi. "Well, then I don't want to keep you. Actually, we have a mission and need to get going, too. So…see you, Kakashi. And good luck at the academy, Sakura," he winked at Sakura like Kakashi had done the day before, but Sakura didn't blush at all this time and only thanked him.

Jiraya and his team made their way out of the village, as Yahiko asked.

"Was that girl -?"

Jiraya laughed wholeheartedly. "Yes. That was her. Finally!"


	6. None other than

6

None other than …

"Was that Jiraya-sama, one of the Sanin?"

After team Jiraya had disappeared from their sight, Kakashi and Sakura continued on the road to the academy. But since the little girl was excessively curious, she couldn't help but ask. The Copy Ninja, who affirmed her assumption right away, was deep in thoughts since he realized that he indeed hadn't seen Jiraya for a very long time. He wondered why. But to be honest he knew exactly why. It was the same reason why he hadn't seen any of his other friends for the past years. Ever since his bond with Sakura had been torn apart, Kakashi tore the bonds to everyone else apart, too. Back then, he hadn't considered it worth to keep those bonds if the one true bond to his girlfriend had been destroyed.

If Sakura hadn't pulled a little at his trousers, Kakashi wouldn't have noticed that they had already arrived at the academy. He stopped right in front of the entrance and looked down only to see that Sakura hesitantly let go of his trousers in order to take a step backwards. She looked up smiling brightly and thanked him for taking her there.

"You're very welcome, my lady," Kakashi teased her again only to receive the cutest blush and shy smile on earth. But as quickly as that blush appeared on her cheeks, it disappeared just as fast, when there was a girly voice coming from behind Sakura.

"Hey, Forehead! Haven't we told you that acting cute is worthless for you? With your huge forehead there is no chance for you to ever be cute."

Kakashi and Sakura glanced at the entrance of the academy, where a class of pupils was coming out with the noisy girl in front of them as if she was leading the class. As Sakura turned to Kakashi again, he could see that she was extremely uncomfortable and obviously afraid of that girl.

"Emi! Haven't I told you at least a hundred times that you mustn't tease Sakura?" A voice shouted from behind the class.

Kakashi looked up to see Iruka coming up from behind the class, but he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the Copy Ninja. The academy teacher didn't even hear the apology from the girl named Emi, who didn't even regret her accusation.

"Kakashi," Iruka said truly surprised "What are you doing here?"

Kakashi nodded once, which was his way of greeting somebody and answered him.

"I accompanied Sakura today," he shrugged.

"Forehead needs a babysitter while her parents are gone! And **you** want to be a kunoichi someday? How will you do that if you can't even take care of yourself?" Emi ridiculed Sakura once again.

"Emi! -" Iruka started, but Kakashi raised his hand in order to stop him from going on. The Copy ninja got on his knees in front of Sakura and smiled brightly at her. Her frightened expression turned into a puzzled one.

"Well," he started so that everyone could hear him "I hope you'll have a nice day in school, Sakura. And as I told you before…if anything should happen to you, I want you to tell me right away because I will make sure that the **thing** which is bothering you will disappear from the world in the most painful way possible."

Although Kakashi was smiling like the most innocent angel, the threat in his words wasn't misunderstood by the girl who this murderous intend was directed to. Each pupil turned complete white as a ghost and their mouths dropped to the floor. Emi showed the same symptoms and on top of that, she started to sweat pretty much. Even Sakura was surprised by his words, but she was endlessly grateful to the Copy Ninja so that she stepped forward and hugged him tightly cuddling with him for the blink of an eye before she let go of him again.

"Thank you," she only moved her mouth, nut he understood her nonetheless.

"Eh…okay. Let's get going, everyone!" Iruka announced and the class started walking down the street, where Kakashi and Sakura had come from a few minutes ago.

When almost everyone passed by the Copy Ninja - keeping a healthy distance to him - Naruto came towards Kakashi and Sakura.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Hello, Sakura-chan!" His smile widened as he looked at the pink haired girl.

Kakashi only nodded at the young boy smiling down at him and Sakura greeted him relieved that there was at least one in her class, who liked her.

"Sakura, Naruto, let's go," Iruka said.

Both of them nodded in agreement and followed their classmates, but not before Sakura turned around again to wave goodbye at Kakashi. The Copy Ninja raised his hand and waved back realizing that it was somehow uncomfortable to be apart from that little girl.

"Where are you going with them, Iruka?" Kakashi asked the Chunin, who was about to go away, too.

"To the Hokage monument. Yondaime has agreed to tell the pupils a little bit of the history of Konoha."

"Well, have fun," Kakashi had nodded once again, before he turned around himself and started to walk down the street opposite from the direction he had come from.

The silver haired man didn't recognize where his feet had led him until he was in front of a very familiar house. A house which he had not seen from inside since that fateful day six years ago. He thought about just going away again, but he needed to know if what he had been suspecting was true or not.

Kakashi knocked three times in a row.

A few seconds passed until the door was opened.

The woman in the threshold gasped as she saw who was standing in front of the door.

"Kakashi," Kushina didn't hide her surprise at all.

"Hi, Kushina-san. How are you?" Kakashi asked faking a smile. He hated doing small talk.

"Fine, thank you. Would you like to come in?" She offered politely.

"Yes, I'd like to. Is Minato-sensei at home?" The Copy Ninja asked as he entered the house.

"Yes, he is," Kushina answered and led him to the living room, where Minato sat on the sofa reading the newspaper.

Kakashi smirked under his mask, as he saw his sensei. 'He completely forgot-' were his only thoughts.

"Minato," Kushina tried to get his attention "You have a visitor."

The Hokage looked up from his newspaper to Kakashi and it seemed as if he knew exactly why the Copy Ninja had come here.

"Kakashi," he greeted grinning at the Copy Ninja "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" He gestured for Kakashi to sit down at the chair opposite of himself, which the silver haired man did.

Before Kakashi could ask what he came here for, Minato asked Kushina to make some tea for them. She nodded once glancing at Kakashi and then she went into the kitchen to boil some water.

As Minato looked at Kakashi with those knowing blue eyes, a very painful memory crawled into Kakashi's mind.

_Everything was meaningless without Sakura._

"_Kakashi," a low voice said behind him. _

_Minato stood behind him. He was totally covered in blood - his own as well as his enemy's blood. _

"_You have to believe Sakura. You'll meet her again, I guarantee it," he told him calmly._

"_How? She is dead," Kakashi's eyes were dry again, but his voice shaky._

"_No, she is alive and very healthy. You know, there are many things we have to talk about, my son. Take Sakura with you and follow me back to the village," Minato helped him to stand up and walked towards Konoha with every ninja following him._

And another one.

_Minato crossed the room, as he didn't get any reaction out of Kakashi and sat down on the bed beside him. Sighing the Hokage began to talk calmly again as if he was smoothing Kakashi._

"_Listen, son. I won't lie to you by saying that I know what you are going through right now. Hell, I don't have the slightest idea how you must feel after such a loss. Considering it wasn't the first time for you to lose someone dear to you makes it only worse, I think. But you must know that you'll kill yourself if you continue -"_

_Before Minato could finish that sentence, Kakashi interrupted him._

"_Sensei," he mumbled, "It is gone."_

"_What's gone?" Minato asked._

_Without turning around Kakashi continued mumbling in his pillow._

"_Her scent is gone. And I can't remember it. I - I can't," he lost his voice._

_Minato sighed quietly. He couldn't bear to lose Kakashi to his agony._

"_Kakashi, what would you say if I told you that Sakura is alive?" The Hokage asked noticing that Kakashi went completely still. It was like a déjà vu for the Hokage since he said something like that to Kakashi, when Sakura had defeated the Kyuubi._

_The Copy Ninja didn't move nor did it seem like he was even breathing. That's why the Yondaime was surprised, when Kakashi actually answered, although he didn't turn around to face his teacher._

"_Minato," another surprise for the Hokage. It was extremely unusual for Kakashi to address his mentor without any suffix. _

"_I held her in my arms, when she drew her last breath. I held her to my chest, when her heartbeat slowed down until it ended completely. I held her, when her warmth left her body," Kakashi slowly sat up and was finally facing his sensei with a teary and yet angry gaze, "I fucking held her, when she died! Now tell me again that she is alive!" _

_Minato knew that the last sentence was only rhetorical, but he still dared to say it._

"_Sakura is still alive, Kakashi," Minato knew that he was playing with fire at that moment, but he simply had to try it with the truth._

_Kakashi laughed quietly, but it wasn't at all amused. For a second Minato thought that Kakashi was losing his mind, but he didn't want to believe that. For crying out loud! This was Kakashi in front of him - the fourteen-year-old jonin who managed to get through his father's death, when he was four and he even got through his teammates' death over a year ago._

"_Out"_

_At first Minato thought that he had just imagined that Kakashi had said something, but when he looked at his student, he knew that Kakashi had just told him to get lost._

"_Believe it or not, Kakashi, but I want you to know that I tell the truth and that Sakura is indeed alive. When you are ready to talk to me about it properly, then you know where to find me," Minato said calmly._

"Sensei, you once told me that my life would be a lot easier if I just believed. Now I am willing to try, but you have to tell me the truth. Is it really true?" Kakashi gulped trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.

Minato, who knew exactly what Kakashi was talking about as if he had watched Kakashi's memories on screen just now, simply stared at the Copy Ninja.

"Is it true?" Kakashi asked again, when he didn't get any answer.

Minato took a deep breath and answered. "Yes, it's true."

In contrast to the reactions Minato would have expected from Kakashi, the Jonin only smiled lightly looking at the floor. Minato could feel the sadness around Kakashi, but also relief.

"You know what she had told me, just before she had died? 'We will see each other again, Kakashi. Let's meet again in twelve years at the academy in team 7.' That's what she had told me. However, Sakura miscalculated. I have already met her after only six years on the streets of Konoha."

Minato didn't miss the drop of water falling from Kakashi's eye down to the floor. However, he was more distracted by his words.

'Kakashi has already seen little Sakura? Wow…that must have been quite a shock for him,' the Yondaime thought.

"How?" Kakashi whispered breathlessly.

It was clear for Minato that Kakashi wanted to know how it was possible that his girlfriend had died and yet she was completely healthy, but only ten years younger than she had been six years ago. The Hokage was relieved that Kakashi finally decided to open his heart to the truth and listen to his sensei. It was a chance for him to make his life less painful and more livable.

"Okay, let me tell you everything I know about Haruno Sakura, my son," Minato started and began to tell Kakashi the story of the girl who had gone to the past in order to save her village from the upcoming dangers and who had sacrificed herself for all her beloved ones.

While Minato was speaking, he had to think of the very first time, when Sakura had opened up to him and had told him the truth.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

_Finally, the pink hair girl couldn't stand this silence and the stares of two certain people anymore and she began to talk._

"_Okay. I will tell you."_

_Sakura was sitting on the one side of the table which was standing in front of the kitchen, and Minato and Kushina were sitting next to each other on the other side of the table._

_Kushina raised an eyebrow. "You'll tell us how you knew that I was pregnant?"_

_Sakura nodded, but before she began with her story, she paused._

"…"

_Minato noticed that she had no idea where to start._

"_Just begin at the very beginning," he smiled warmly at her, "Where did you come from, when Kakashi and I found you a couple of hours ago?" _

_Now he stared at her seriously again._

"_Well, as I said I had come from Konoha," Sakura started._

_Before Kushina and Minato could interrupt her, she waved a hand to silence them immediately._

"_I know it sounds impossible, but I am from the Konoha about 16 year from now. Tsunade-Shishou, the fifth Hokage of the future Konoha, sent me here to hinder the Nine-tailed fox to appear here and destroy Konoha. I want to change the past, so that the future Konoha won't be destroyed in 16 years."_

"_Stop! Stop! Stop! Sorry to interrupt, but I don't understand…You are really saying that you are from the future?" Minato asked curiously._

_Sakura nodded._

Minato had to smile because of that memory. It was a miracle that Sakura had managed to keep her secret from Kakashi, since she started to blabber about her top-secret mission in an instant once she couldn't stand being watched in silence anymore. The Hokage would have to work on that with Sakura once she would be old enough.

As soon as Minato had finished telling Kakashi everything, it was completely silent for a few seconds until Kakashi spoke.

"She doesn't remember me consciously, but I can tell that her subconscious knows that she once knew me. Tell me, Minato-sensei. Is there a possibility of her remembering everything someday?" Kakashi still couldn't look into Minato's eyes afraid that the Hokage could read him as a book now.

"I honestly don't know, Kakashi. There had never been such a case before, so I can only hope for you that she **will** remember one day, "Minato sighed desperately hoping for a miracle.

Slowly Kakashi got up from his chair and looked into Minato's eyes for the first time since he had come into this room. There were no signs of weakness in his one exposed eye - no sorrow, no regret, nothing. He had that neutral look like had had before.

"Thank you, Sensei. I think everything will be easier for me from now on."

Minato got up as well and looked at the Copy Ninja - he was in Hokage mode.

"Kakashi, would you like to come to dinner tonight? Kushina would be glad to talk to you a bit and Naruto adores you too much to not see you for too long," Minato smiled reassuring.

"I'll think about it," the silver haired man said as he turned around and walked to the front door. Then Kakashi remembered something and he turned his head a little to look at the Hokage who had followed him.

"Oh, and I think that you should head to the Hokage monument now, before a bunch of kids get too edgy waiting for you," he smiled wickedly at his Sensei.

Minato's eyes widened in shock and then he suddenly shouted at Kushina's direction.

"Kushina! I have to go! Please prepare something for dinner! We'll have a guest tonight! Bye! Love you!" Then he shoved Kakashi out of the house to the streets and hurried down the streets waving goodbye at Kakashi.

The Copy Ninja sighed heavenly putting his hands in his pockets and started to walk down the streets, too. There was much he had to think about.


	7. Knowing me, knowing you

**7**

**Knowing me, knowing you**

**The gentle breeze made the whispers of the nature around him so much more comforting. Ever since he came here a couple of hours ago, he listened to it as if he was expecting an answer to his unsaid question, yet he knew that the answer had already been there inside of his mind all the time. He was only afraid of the consequences of that very answer. Taking a deep breath, he let his hand wander over the names of his former teammates.**

"**Obito… Rin… if I just made the right decision…I think, only time will tell," Kakashi whispered.**

**With his mind made up, he left the memorial stone behind and headed for the Hokage monument. Though he had no idea what time it was or if the lessons had already finished, the time felt right to fetch her. Maybe he was just too impatient to wait for her any longer. Hell, he has waited for six long years. Of course, he had just learned that his Sakura was indeed alive but a different person, yet it had been six endless years until he met her again.**

**With a frustrated sigh, he looked up at the sky. "This is so confusing!"**

**Kakashi had a rough time accepting everything he had just learned a couple of hours ago. However, what was really hard for him were the consequences the new information caused. Although Sakura was alive, she was still another person. His girlfriend who had been buried six years prior has been dead ever since. Not even the fact that there was a six-year-old Sakura walking around Konoha did change that. They were two different people. While his girlfriend was the heroine of Konoha, little Sakura was nothing but…a child. Yes, that's right. She was a child. She was out of reach for Kakashi. **

**The Copy Ninja was so deep in thoughts that he didn't even notice he had already arrived in front of the Hokage Tower, which Iruka's class must have been on top of. Kakashi could feel Minato's chakra there as well as the teacher's, but he couldn't feel anyone else's chakra.**

'**Stupid. Of course you can't feel them because they haven't learned how to control their chakras yet,' he scolded himself.**

**Leaning against the wall of the building, the Copy Ninja closed his eyes. Since he fought an inner battle about his decision, whether he should really do it or not, he didn't notice the presence next to him.**

"**Hey, Kakashi," Minato greeted after having jumped down from the building.**

**Kakashi's eyes flew open and he jumped a little, which didn't go unnoticed by his Sensei, who only grinned evilly at him.**

"**Sorry, didn't want to scare you like that," he told Kakashi, who was about to protest. "But since your senses are shit it is your own fault."**

**Kakashi let out an amused snort.**

"**Thanks, sensei," he said rolling his eye.**

"**What are you doing here anyway, Kakashi? I hope you didn't come to refuse my invitation to dinner. Kushina is probably preparing it now so you can't refuse even if you want to," Minato arched a brow.**

**The Copy Ninja simply had to smile at that. "No, I'll definitely come tonight, but I'll be bringing someone with me."**

**Just before Minato could ask who this mysterious someone was a blond boy came running down the stairs outside of the Hokage Tower, which led to the roof of the building.**

"**Dad! Wait for me!" Naruto shouted.**

"**Idiot. You don't need to shout like that," another boy said next to Naruto.**

**Kakashi didn't recognize the boy with the black hair and the annoyed look until he turned around at the end of the stairs and the Copy Ninja saw the symbol of the Uchiha Clan on his back. **

"**Grump," Naruto muttered so loud that Sasuke Uchiha could hear him.**

**Though Sasuke turned away very quickly rising a hand as if he was waving goodbye, Kakashi didn't miss the slight grin on the Uchiha's face.**

"**See you tomorrow, Blondie," Sasuke said and walked along the streets until a person came out from the shadows of an alley to join Sasuke.**

**Considering that this person wore an Anbu uniform with the Uchiha symbol on his back it must have been Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's brother.**

"**Didn't you and Sasuke want to play today?" Minato asked looking down to his son who was now by his side.**

**Naruto shook his head and told him, "Sasuke said that his brother wanted to teach him some really cool ninja tricks. And I didn't want to force myself on him since he doesn't see much of Itachi lately. So I guessed it would be best not to interrupt by joining them."**

"**I am proud of you my son," Minato smiled proudly and ruffled his son's hair.**

**The peaceful moment was interrupted by a skirl of girls who also came down the stairs. The cries of "Sasuke!", "Sasuke, I love you!" and "Ino, don't you dare!" must have been heard by the whole village. Right after they had arrived at the end of the stairs, they turned and followed Sasuke like a herd of mad cattle with a blond, blue-eyed girl in front of them.**

**Minato and Kakashi stood there and simply watched the girls running after the Uchiha boy. Both of them were stunned and complete speechless after what they had just seen.**

"**Must be one of Ino's attempts of getting Sasuke's attention," Naruto muttered a little bit envious of Sasuke. "Oh, hey, Sakura! Is Ino trying again?"**

**At hearing Sakura's name Kakashi came out of his shock at Sasuke's popularity and turned his head to see the little girl jumping down the stairs laughing.**

"**Yes, as soon as she declared to confess to Sasuke today, she ran off followed by all the other girls," she giggled.**

**As she saw Kakashi next to Naruto and the Hokage, she ran towards him and grabbed his hand. "Hello!" she greeted him with a wide smile.**

**Kakashi found himself smiling back at her and got on his knees in front of her. "Hey, how was today's lesson?" the Copy Ninja asked.**

**While Sakura told Kakashi everything about the talk with Konoha's Hokage, that very Hokage stood there observing Kakashi's mimic and gesture.**

'**What is Kakashi doing with Sakura Haruno?' he was about to ask Kakashi, when he remembered that he had sent Sakura's parents on a mission. Her parents must have asked him to take care of their daughter while they were gone. Relief washed over Minato. He had to admit that he was worried that Kakashi might have kept close to Sakura only because she looked like his late girlfriend. Well actually, she was his late girlfriend…**

**Minato ruffled his hair. "Damn, this is confusing!"**

"**Everything alright, sensei?" Kakashi asked.**

**Minato looked at his former student, who was still kneeing on the ground. "Yes. Everything's alright," then he smiled at Kakashi and Sakura. "Well, I guess I don't have to ask who you want to bring tonight, do I?"**

"**Tell me the time and I'll be there with Sakura," Kakashi said instead of giving Minato an answer.**

**Minato smiled widely at him.**

**As for Sakura and Naruto, they were left in the dark what the two adults were talking about.**

**Later in the evening Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, Kushina, and Minato had dinner together and enjoyed the evening. At the beginning when Kakashi had arrived with Sakura, the poor girl had been trembling because of her nervousness. The Copy Ninja had wondered what Minato had told the students of the academy about him, which had made Sakura so afraid of him. As Naruto had tried to calm Sakura down, he had told her, "Don't worry, Sakura. My father is only human, too."**

**Sakura had to laugh at that and answered a lot less nervous, "Yes, but a very powerful one."**

**Kakashi was glad that Naruto could calm Sakura down since he feared that Sakura wouldn't be able to drink anything because of her trembling. After they had finished dinner Naruto took Sakura to his room in order to play with her, which Kakashi was also grateful for. Once the children were gone, he didn't wait any longer.**

"**Sensei, I want another mission."**

**Minato made a face at that comment. "Kakashi, haven't we already talked about that. I don't -"**

**Before Minato could finish his sentence, Kakashi had interrupted him.**

"**Not an Anbu mission. I want a long-term mission. A mission that keeps me away from Konoha for at least six years until Sakura and Naruto graduate from the academy," he explained calmly. **

**Minato looked like Kakashi had just punched him through a couple of walls. Slowly he managed to look quite indifferent.**

"**You have no intention of getting back together with Sakura," Minato said with an understanding tone in his voice.**

"**Getting back together, sensei? No, I have never been together with this girl and you know that," Kakashi smiled sadly. "No matter if that girl is Sakura or not, she is not my late girlfriend and will never be. My Sakura is dead and I do not intend to change anything, which my girlfriend had experienced in her youth. Once I am back from that mission I want, I will be the teacher of team 7. I will be the teacher of Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura. That won't change. I will do exactly what she has told me once. If fate wants me to be her teacher then I will be and nothing more."**

**Kakashi could remember the moment, when Sakura told him about her teacher the first time.**

"_**SAKURA!" Kakashi shouted shaking her a little bit with his hands on each side of her shoulders. "Wake up!"**_

_**All of a sudden, Sakura's eyes shot open and before she could realize what was happening, she sat up with such a quick movement that Kakashi had no chance to back away. And before he knew it, their foreheads had crashed against each other.**_

"_**OW!" both of them shouted in pain because of the crash.**_

_**Sakura fell back in her pillow while Kakashi fell off the bed. Both of them whined a little, before Sakura sat up once again with her forehead in her left hand. Kakashi did the same.**_

"_**Ow," he said rubbing his forehead with the tips of his fingers in order to ease the pain. "You sure have a hell of a forehead!"**_

"_**What happened…?" Sakura asked startled and confused.**_

"_**Don't you remember? You went shopping and then Itachi showed up and he used his Sharingan-," Kakashi explain standing up from the ground.**_

"_**I know what happened there!" she hissed slightly annoyed.**_

"_**Then why do you ask?" Kakashi was also a little pissed.**_

_**He wondered why it was possible for the pink hair girl to be so adorable in her sleep, but then again to be so damn annoying, when she was awake. It was confusing for him. In one moment, Kakashi was considering her a new friend and in the next moment, she ruined everything with her temper.**_

"_**What I meant is: Why did you wake me up? I had a really nice dream!" Sakura griped. **_

_**Kakashi snorted. "Yes, I can imagine that. Maybe you enjoy yourself by even humiliating me in your sleep!"**_

"_**Humiliating you? What the hell are you talking about, Kakashi?" Sakura's temper was getting the upper hand.**_

"_**So now it is 'Kakashi'? A minute ago you called me Kakashi-sensei,**__" he hissed._

_Silence. Sakura stared at the masked Ninja in front of her not believing that she had seemed to be talking in her sleep._

'_Great! Why can't I at least keep my mouth shut in my sleep?' Sakura cursed her big mouth._

"_Oh…that. You see, Kakashi…I wasn't talking about you," Sakura lowered her head and slightly blushed._

"_You weren't?" he curiously raised one eyebrow._

"_No…I dreamt about my Sensei. He has the same name as you have…Kakashi. That's why I had said his name."_

_Still blushing._

…

…

_After a long uncomfortable silence, Kakashi broke it._

"_Are you in love with him?" he asked suspiciously. _

_Sakura's head shot up burning in embarrassment._

"_NO! Of course, I am not! Why would you think that?" she could feel the heat rising in her body._

_Kakashi shifted his weight from his left leg to his right while putting his hands in his pockets. He shrugged with his shoulders._

"_First, you are blushing in five shades of red. Second, in your sleep you called his name like you were all lovey dovey with him," he was annoyed again. _

_Now that he knew it had not been him, she was dreaming of, he was … disappointed? This was also confusing. First, he felt humiliated because he thought that it was he Sakura had called 'Kakashi-sensei' and now he felt disappointed because she didn't dreamed of him. He eyed her waiting for an answer._

_Sakura waved a hand to the end of the bed to tell Kakashi to take a seat there. As he sat down next to her feet, he turned his head to look at her again._

"_My Sensei was one of the nicest people I ever knew. Although there were many things about him, which annoyed the hell out of me, I just realized how much I miss these things now that he is gone. Moreover, not only he…my teammate was always saying such stupid things and he always wanted to eat Ramen…always. Although they annoyed me too, I miss them now that he is also gone," Sakura faked a smile and looked at Kakashi, "I am a stranger here, Kakashi. Yet I am not. You are a stranger to me Kakashi. And yet you are not…"_

"…" _Kakashi waited for her to go on._

"_The dream I just had…all of my friends were there and were encouraging me. I think I just wished to see them again. Especially Kakashi-sensei," she told him._

_Kakashi gritted his teeth._

"_Don't misunderstand me, Kakashi. I don't like him that way…he was just a good friend who always gave us advises, when we -my teammate and me- went through hard times."_

"_I see," Kakashi lowered his head ashamed about his feelings. _

_He couldn't believe that he was being jealous of an obvious dead man. Her Sensei nonetheless. The silver hair boy felt at ease now._

"_That's why I was mad at you, when you woke me up earlier. I didn't want that dream to vanish," she mumbled._

"Okay," Minato said interrupting Kakashi's memories.

"Okay?" Kakashi asked bewildered. He didn't think the Hokage would agree so easily.

"But," Kakashi had to roll his eye. Of course there was a 'but' coming. "But I only allow you to go on this mission if you are absolutely sure. Once you are out of Konoha there is no coming back until you complete this mission, do you understand?"

Kakashi nodded seriously.

"Fine," Minato sighed. "Now that you have made your decision, let me make mine. You are to leave tomorrow morning. You can leave Sakura here with us, I am sure Naruto wouldn't mind."

When Kakashi wanted to object Minato raised a hand to silence him. "Take it or leave it, Kakashi."

After another moment of silence, Kakashi whispered. "Fine. But when I come back and I find out that tried to manipulate her mind or her memories - or her lack of memories - I promise to kill you myself."

Minato smiled wickedly at Kakashi. "Really?"

Kakashi returned the sadistic smile. "You bet."


	8. This isn't over

8

This isn't over

There is a saying that time passes by very quickly whenever you enjoy yourself, but whenever you wait for something to happen finally time passes by very slowly. Over the past six years, Kakashi had to experience the later. Although it had been only six years, those years seemed like six decades to him. He had left Konoha in order to forget about that six-year-old girl there, who reminded him so much of his late girlfriend. Actually Minato had confirmed his suspicions and one day before he had left his hometown he had heard about little Sakura being his late girlfriend. However, she was his late girlfriend without her memories, so she was not his late girlfriend, which did not hinder him to be reminded of his Sakura whenever he had seen that little girl. And even after six years, this topic was still too confusing for him to think of it for too long.

In order to avoid thinking about her, Kakashi had been reading Jiraya's latest novel - from his _Icha Icha _series - but not even his favorite book could prevent those annoying butterflies in his stomach from flying around.

The Copy Ninja from Konoha was now on his way back to his hometown from that special long-term mission he had asked of the Hokage. It really had been an easy mission. Kakashi had had to go to Amegakure and spy on a certain landlord who had been suspected to be a spy himself, who had been sent by Kimigakure in order to influence Amegakure's trading with Konoha. All Kakashi had to write in his mission report now was, _I came, I saw, I conquered._ However, considering the amount of time he had needed to complete this mission, it could raise several questions from other Jonin. Kakashi could already picture a certain brown haired Jonin with a toothpick ridiculing him for taking so much time in order to accomplish such an easy sounding mission.

The Copy Ninja sighed heavily looking up from his book and saw those familiar gates, which he had not seen for six years.

_Home sweet home, _he thought.

With a deep breath, he closed the novel, put it back into his pouch, and quickened his pace a little. He did not stop at the gates, but only greeted Izumo and Kotetsu, when he walked by those two at the Konoha entrance. His feet took him to the Hokage tower, where he had left Minato, Naruto, and Sakura six years ago.

"_You are leaving?" Sakura asked bewildered. "But you - you are supposed to look after me."_

_Her expression was difficult to read. She could be angry, sulking or … sad._

_Kakashi kneeled down next to her and looked her in the eyes with a soft expression on his face. "I know, but I have to go on a very important mission and that mission will last quite a while. That's why you will be staying at Naruto's place until your parents get back from their mission," he ruffled her hair softly._

_He had seen her bite her lower lip before she looked to the ground hiding her face with her bangs. Uncertain of what to say Kakashi looked up to the Hokage, who was staying next to Sakura. Minato caught Kakashi's help seeking gaze, but shrugged as if he wanted to say, _you don't actually believe that I would help you with that, do you?

_The Copy Ninja rolled his eyes as if he had heard Minato's thoughts. Once he heard quiet sniffs, Kakashi looked to Sakura again with a shocked expression. He had made her cry._

"_Hey, little princess," he tried to smooth her while lifting her chin. "What's the matter?" _

_The tears, which rolled over her cheeks, seemed too big coming from her eyes. Those tears tore at his heart like the fateful incident had six years ago._

_Sakura shook her head and flung herself at the Copy Ninja's chest sobbing uncontrollably. Kakashi couldn't bear the thought of leaving her in Konoha crying, but he had no other option. Putting his arms around her small body, he pressed his lips on top of her head and whispered quietly, so that she was the only one who could understand him._

"_I'll miss you, Sakura."_

It had hurt very much to leave her that day. And to know that it was a very egoistical reason, which had driven him to act as he had acted only, increased his guilty conscience. Just because Kakashi had not wanted to be reminded of his late girlfriend, he had made that little girl cry.

Shaking his head in order to get rid of his thoughts he finally decided to enter the Hokage tower. He made his way to the Hokage's office and knocked.

"Come in," a familiar voice said.

Entering the office Kakashi was welcomed by a beaming smile from his former teacher, which made it difficult for the Copy Ninja not to return the smile.

"Long time no see, Hokage-sama," Kakashi greeted stepping closer to the familiar desk.

"Kakashi," Minato exclaimed and walked around the desk.

Kakashi expected his former teacher to hug him, but when the Hokage grabbed him by his shoulders, the Copy Ninja looked a little confused.

"Kakashi, I am so glad you made it in time!" Minato's expression could be described as pleased.

_In time? For what? _Kakashi thought bewildered.

"You won't believe what happened a couple of years ago, Kakashi. But you do have to believe it, since I am going to kick your ass if you don't, so take a seat already, and listen!" Minato practically shoved his former student into the chair in front of the desk.

Even before Kakashi could ask, what was going on Minato had already continued.

"Where should I begin?" he questioned himself pacing around behind Kakashi so that the silver haired man had to turn his head quite a bit. "Okay, two years after your departure, Iruka began to teach the academy class how to use their chakra. One week passed and nothing happened. After eight days of practicing to use and control their chakra one girl managed to accomplish the task, but instead of being joyful that she managed to accomplish it, she stormed right out the classroom and came straight to me."

Kakashi did not know what the Hokage tried to tell him and when he was about to open his mouth, he was silenced by his former teacher.

"Without even knocking she simply entered and asked 'Where the hell is he, Minato-sensei?'She did not even greet me as she normally did. And her shyness had turned into a forwardness, which can be very charming, but at that moment, it was simply horrifying. When I asked her what she had meant, she simply jumped onto my desk and threatened me," Minato had to laugh at the memory. "Once she scared the hell out of me, I told her everything. And let me tell you that she was more than angry to hear that you would not be back for another four years. When she muttered something about men being impatient, I asked what had been wrong with her. And guess what she answered," the Hokage looked at Kakashi waiting for him to answer.

Still not knowing about what Minato was talking about, Kakashi simply shrugged and waited for Minato to go on.

"She said, _what's wrong with me? After eight years I finally remembered everything and when I want to tell Kakashi I found out that he wasn't coming back for another four years! I think you should ask Kakashi what was wrong with him, when he gets back! And I swear that I will chop your heads off - yours and Kakashi's too- if he is not here in time to be assigned as team seven's teacher! _Then she stormed out of my office. Do you know now who I am talking about?" Minato asked smiling at his former student.

Kakashi was stunned by the Hokage. Once it had finally sunk in, the Copy Ninja did not know what to say anymore. There were so many thoughts going through his mind right in that moment and each single thoughts was about the girl he had left behind six years ago. Now that he had returned, he might have returned to his girlfriend. Sakura who had gotten her memories, which he thought she had lost forever, back.

Since Kakashi did not seem to be able to talk anymore, Minato added in a joyful voice.

"As I told you before you got back here right in time. If you don't mind to go to the academy now and meet your own team," the Hokage waved to the door as a subtle hint to leave his office. "They have already been waiting for you for four hours."

Kakashi's lips twitched a little bit at this comment. "How did you know I was coming back today?"

"I didn't. I intended to make them wait until evening before sending them home," Minato grinned evilly. "Sakura would have definitely deserved it for being that rude to me and Naruto would have deserved it, too, for not eating his breakfast and Sasuke… I think he would have deserved it, too, for something he had done."

Suddenly Kakashi's light smile disappeared.

"I hope you didn't lie to me, Hokage-sama," the Copy Ninja said with a low voice.

The Hokage had to blink a few times surprised that Kakashi would actually think that he had made everything up.

"Go and see for yourself. She is at the academy," Minato told him with a cheeky grin.

Ever so slowly, Kakashi got up from his chair and turned around completely to face the Hokage. Looking him in the eyes, he knew that he had not lied to him. It was true. Everything he had told him was true! Kakashi still could not believe it.

"Now get your but out of my office and don't you dare to run away from her again!" Minato laughed softly as he pushed Kakashi out of his office.

As soon as the Copy Ninja was out of the room, he made his way to the academy. With each step that brought him closer to her, his heart sped up too. The moment he arrived at the academy he feared that he might have a heart attack before he could even see her after twelve years!

Wait.

Kakashi was already in front of a classroom, where he heard voices coming from inside, as he stopped dead in his tracks.

_Twelve…years. It had only been twelve years! I will not meet the sixteen-year-old girl who I loved so much in there! In that classroom, a twelve-year-old girl is waiting for me. Damn. The following four years will be very interesting, Hatake Kakashi, _Kakashi thought groaning miserably.

Trying to forget about the torture that was sure to come during the next four years he opened the door to the classroom and was about to say something, when he was thrown backwards, right out of the door that he had just entered. As he opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting on the floor and leaning against a wall and he looked into green eyes…familiar green eyes.

"Kakashi! I missed you so much!"

Before he could have reacted to the tears, which went down her cheeks, he was shocked to feel her tiny lips on his masked ones. This feeling was also very familiar to him. There had been only one girl in his life that made him feel this way while they shared a kiss.

When the girl with the pink hair removed her lips and stared down at him, he asked hoarsely and with glistening eyes.

"Sakura?"

Beaming at him, she sniffed a little. "The one and only," she answered.

She was still sitting on his lap, as she wiped her tears off her cheeks and tried to smile at him, but it was a poor imitation of her natural smile. Kakashi could still only look at her in disbelief. The girl who was currently straddling him had long hair. Very long hair.

"Y-your hair," it came out more hoarsely than he wanted.

Suddenly the tears were gone and an angry expression crawled over her face. Without warning him, she slapped his arm.

"You jerk! After four years of waiting, the first thing you can think of is my hair! You are such a coward, Hatake Kakashi! I can't believe - Hmpf," she was silenced abruptly by his kiss.

Since she was so angry with him, Sakura did not even notice him pulling down his mask and moving forward.

To Kakashi that outburst was the most beautiful thing he had seen in twelve years. This was definitely his Sakura! His one and only Sakura has come back to him at last! That is why he could not stop himself as he kissed her passionately. His lips moved against hers and the sensation building up between them was something he had thought to have lost long ago. Not able to stop them, tears of joy ran down his cheeks and he smiled softly against her lips. Sakura could feel him smiling and placed her arms around his neck deepening the kiss. The Copy Ninja felt like he was becoming one with her as he pulled her closer to him as she already had been.

"Ew! Stop that, Kakashi-sensei! That's disgusting!" a loud voice shouted from the doorframe.

Kakashi and Sakura broke apart immediately after hearing Naruto's protest. Within a second Kakashi was on his feet again and Sakura stood in front of him. The moment was ruined for them thanks to the loud blond boy. Kakashi waved at Naruto and greeted him.

"Hey, Naruto. Long time no see! How are you?"

Naruto wrinkled his nose. "Thanks to you I think I am going to be blind soon! Fortunately my dad has already warned me about the two of you otherwise I would have chopped your head off the very moment I saw you touching Sakura-chan!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Kakashi and moved her lips so that he had to read her lips in order to understand what she had said. "Kids," she had mouthed.

The Copy Ninja had to chuckle because of that.

"What?" Sakura asked frowning.

"Isn't that a little bit ironic? Remember that you are a kid yourself, Sakura," Kakashi said amused.

"Maybe my body is that of a kid, but my mind certainly isn't," her frown deepened.

Kakashi walked by her ruffling her hair. "I know," he whispered and entered the classroom once again, however, this time he was not thrown right out of it.

Naruto had already gone back inside and was now sitting next to a dark haired boy, who was without a doubt Uchiha Sasuke. If the Jonin had not recognized him by the Uchiha symbol, he certainly would have recognized him by his frown. That frown must run in the Uchiha's family by the looks of it.

When Sakura followed, Kakashi back inside she sat down next to Naruto waiting for Kakashi to say something.

Coughing a little to get everyone's attention Kakashi started. "Well let's go to the roof for the introductions. I think I need some fresh air."

Sakura beamed at him, Naruto rolled his eyes at him and Sasuke… well, he was Sasuke. Kakashi went ahead, but heard Naruto whispering, "After all that making out I would need some fresh air, too - Ouch!"

The Copy Ninja did not need to turn around to know Sakura had slapped him. Just as he arrived at the roof, he breathed in deeply in order to get as much oxygen as possible. Turning around again, he saw the three kids sitting down on the stairs in front of him, so he leaned against the railings behind him and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Why don't you introduce yourselves? One at a time," Kakashi said.

Naruto looked confused. "Introducing ourselves? What are we supposed to say?"

Sakura had to laugh at that while Naruto was looking at her even more confused. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing," she giggled. There was a time, when she had asked that very same question.

Kakashi cleared his throat to get their attention again. "Well, you could start with things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies…things like that."

"Why don't you tell us first, I mean before we talk, tell us about you, so we can see how this is supposed to work," Naruto complained.

Kakashi was taken aback. "Me?" his gaze wandered to Sakura, who just nodded. "I am Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate…I don't feel like telling you that."

Naruto's mouth opened in utter surprise. However, that did not hinder Kakashi to go on. "My dreams for the future…I have to think about it," he shot a pointed look at Sakura, who blushed furiously. "As for my hobbies…I have lots of hobbies," he did not think it was appropriate to mention that he liked reading pornography.

"That was totally useless. All he really told us was his name," Naruto muttered to Sakura and Sasuke.

Sakura could not help but giggle again. This reminded her of a crazy role-play, where her text had been stolen by her co-actor. Fortunately, she knew Kakashi better than anyone and was not frustrated now since he had told them so little about him.

"Okay, your turn. You first," Kakashi looked at Naruto, who smiled brightly.

"Believe it, I am Naruto Uzumaki. I like instant ramen in a cup, since my mom cannot really cook and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at Ichiraku's noodle shop. What I hate are the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobby is eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them and my future dream is…to be the greatest Hokage! Then the whole village has to recognize me as Naruto Uzumaki and not only as the Fourth's son!"

After a short pause, Kakashi tried to look indifferent and looked at Sakura. "Alright, next."

Sakura beamed up at him and said, "I am Sakura Haruno. I think you can imagine what I like best, can't you, Kakashi-_sensei_?" she winked at Kakashi. "What I hate are recommencements…I prefer things to carry on where they had stopped," she licked her upper lip in a very bold way, as if she was seducing Kakashi. "My dream for the future is-"

Before she could say another word, Kakashi had raised a hand to silence her and looked to Sasuke. "Last one."

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like training with my brother and I hate being ignored. My dream for the future is to be a better ninja than any Uchiha in Konoha," the frowning boy said calmly.

Kakashi nodded. "Okay, now that we are finished with introducing ourselves, you can go home and get some rest, since we have our first mission tomorrow."

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" Naruto asked excited.

"It's a task that the four of us will do together," Kakashi answered smiling wickedly.

"What? What? What?" Naruto wanted to know.

Making a dramatic pause, the Copy Ninja replied after a couple of seconds. "A survival exercise."

"Huh?" the disappointment in Naruto's voice was unmistakable. "Survival exercise? I thought we were supposed to have a real mission not more practice! We already did this stuff at the academy. That's how we got here!" Naruto whined.

"This is not like your previous training," Kakashi simply said.

"So what kind of training is it then?" the blond boy did not stop asking questions.

"If I tell you the answer you are not going to like it," the Copy Ninja's smile widened. "Of the 27 graduates who just came here only nine will actually be accepted as Genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words this is a make-it-or-break-it-pass-fail test and the chance that you fail is at least 66 per cent."

Naruto could just gape at his teacher, while Sakura had been smiling brightly this whole time and Sasuke was still wearing his mask of indifference.

"See? Didn't I tell you, you wouldn't like it?" the silver haired man asked rhetorically.

After finding his voice again, Naruto started to complain again. "That's crazy! We worked hard to get here, believe it! What was that graduation test for anyway?"

"Oh that? That was just to select candidates who might become Genin, or not," the Copy Ninja explained.

"What?" Naruto could not believe what his teacher had just said.

"That's how it is. I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the training grounds at five a.m. and bring your ninja gear. That's it. You are dismissed. Oh, tomorrow you better skip breakfast or else you'll puke," Kakashi walked towards the kids and stopped in front of Sakura, who was still smiling at him.

"You know, Kakashi, you did a pretty good job there despite the fact that this is your first time being a teacher," Sakura chuckled.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Sakura-chan," he answered in a low voice. "However, each word I just said was actually the same thing Minato once had told his team, when Obito, Rin and me began as Genin."

Sakura raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

"What? I am not called Copy Ninja for nothing," Kakashi laughed.

The smile, which Kakashi had missed so much during the past twelve years, reappeared on her face. Although Sakura was standing right next to him now, it was still difficult for him to believe that all of this was really happening. Spacing out he didn't notice how Sakura took his hand in her own and squeezed it a little.

"So…do you have plans or today?" she asked alluringly.

He looked into her eyes refocusing. "I wanted to head home and take a long, hot shower," the Copy Ninja looked around to see that the other two kids were already gone.

"Do you mind if I come with you? It's been a really long time since I was at your home," Sakura purred drawing circles on his hand with her thumb.

After hearing that, Kakashi had to swallow hard.

It was just as he thought. Not even the cold shower could help him calm down. The fact that Sakura was sitting in his living room while he was showering was driving him crazy. As he turned off the shower, he grabbed a towel and dried himself as fast as possible. As soon as he was done, he put on some pants, which he had prepared beforehand. He didn't have the patience to dry his hair, so he just went back to the living room with wet and dripping hair. When he saw Sakura sitting on his sofa, he wished he could return to the cold water.

"You have different furniture," she commented.

Remembering how he destroyed everything in the night, when Sakura had died, he looked at her ruefully. "Yes, my house was kind of…in need of renovation. That's why I got new furniture, too."

Sakura nodded tapping the place next to her on the sofa telling Kakashi silently to sit down. As he did, she smiled at him and said. "You even got rid of that annoying ticking thing."

Kakashi had to laugh softly because of the memory, which came to his mind at that moment. Sakura had always complained about not being able to sleep because of the clock and its annoying ticking noise. Without thinking, Kakashi put his arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her closer to him kissing the top of her head.

"You can't imagine how happy I am now," he said earnestly.

Sakura didn't think too long about her next move. Suddenly she got up, but only to sit down again on the Copy Ninja's lap with her hands on his bare chest.

"Do you know what would make _me _happy?" she asked boldly brushing her lips against his lips barely even touching them.

"I can guess," Kakashi's voice was barely a whisper. He put his hands on her hips massaging lightly, just when Sakura kissed him. The moment she felt his tongue brushing against her lower lip, she opened her mouth for him. Just when Kakashi felt Sakura's tongue moving with his, he forgot all those lonely years. Everything that mattered now was that she was there with him…kissing him…

Kakashi groaned at the sensation as she moved her hips against his lap, which caused his state of trance to disappear and his voice of reasoning to raise an alarm in his mind. Since Sakura didn't stop moving against his lap, Kakashi could feel his blood running south. Not once did they stop their passionate kiss, so the Copy Ninja had to tighten his grip on Sakura's hips and push her away a little. Leaning backwards the pink haired girl smiled at him smugly and asked. "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath Kakashi answered trying to compose himself. "We can take it further, Sakura."

The smug look disappeared from her face and she raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

"I'll go to jail, Sakura, for bedding you. You are twelve years old now…we have to wait at least another four years until you turn sixteen, before we-" he was interrupted as Sakura moved her hips again brushing against the bulge in Kakashi's pants causing him to moan deeply.

"I don't think you are that patient, Hatake Kakashi," she purred against his ear.

"That's it!" Kakashi groaned desperately. Getting up from the sofa with Sakura's legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck, he made his way to his bedroom and laid the girl in his arms on his bed, before opening his left eye.

"What-" Sakura was bewildered and shocked, but it was already too late. His Sharingan had already begun to whirl. Slowly sleep took over and she closed her eyes. After a couple of seconds Kakashi closed, his left eye again and watched the pink haired girl in her sleep. As he got up from the bed, he looked down to the bulge in his pants and groaned miserably.

"God, Sakura! Not even I can survive four years of cold showers!"


	9. Of Past and Present

9

Of past and present

She was alive. She was right there in his bed. And she was fucking twelve years old.

Kakashi sighed deeply burrowing his face in his hands. He had been sitting in a chair next to his bed, where Sakura was currently sleeping, ever since he had used his Sharingan on her. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the thought that his dead girlfriend was now alive again and four years younger than she had been, as the two of them had dated all those years ago.

With every passing hour the Jonin's thoughts had become deeper and more depressing than he had actually liked them to be. About six hours ago he had confessed to Sakura that he had been incredibly happy. And he _was_.

Kakashi _was_ indeed delighted, happy, relieved that he finally had her back. His feelings were beyond joyful that he could finally hold her in his arms again, except the little, but also annoying problem, that he eventually couldn't hold her at all. It simply didn't feel right to him anymore.

The fact that Sakura had died in his arms, didn't make it right. The fact that he had buried her lifeless corpse, didn't make it right. The fact that he had been dating a _sixteen-year-old_ Sakura, didn't make it right. The fact that she _left_ him, didn't make it bloody right.

With this thought circling around in his mind, the Copy Ninja's head snapped up towards sleeping beauty. All of a sudden his feelings changed. He was still overwhelmed with joy by having her there, but something inside of him slowly made its way to the surface.

Disappointment. Hurt.

_Anger._

He was angry at her. She had put him through twelve miserable years. He had been a wreck without her and she must have known, what her death would do to him emotionally. And she still had gone trough that damn plan of hers, fully aware of what the consequences of her fatal action would be. However, she hadn't given a damn about the consequences. Why would she anyway? She had known that she would die. She had known that she wouldn't feel anything. It was Kakashi who had to live through it all.

It had been him, whom she had left to suffer alone.

It had been him all along.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed dangerously with each new thought, until he clenched his fists so tightly that he could feel the blood under his fingernails. The longer he looked at the girl, who had caused his misery, the less he could stand the mere sight of her.

Not being able to stand being in one room with her anymore, he jerked out of the chair, went out of his bedroom, noisily closing the door behind him, and started to pace in the small hallway, which connected his bedroom with his living room.

As soon as he put some distance between himself and Sakura, he couldn't believe himself. Here he was being angry, when he actually should be grateful and happy and feeling nothing beside that. But since Sakura really was in his bed, safe and sound, Kakashi simply couldn't hold onto those positive feelings for long. At the moment he just wanted to yell at her, to curse her, to accuse her of never really caring about him and then only wrap his arms around her and keep her there for the rest of his life.

That's true. He actually didn't want to fight. He wanted her to know, how he had dealt with her death and what it had done to him. And above all he wanted to know, why she had felt it necessary to sacrifice herself. The Copy Ninja wanted answers to his questions and then get it all over with.

After dealing with his pent-up anger, Kakashi wanted to continue, where he and Sakura had left of, but, besides the fact that he felt emotionally torn at the moment, there was still that irritating problem that Sakura was only _twelve fucking bloody years old!_

Kakashi groaned, stopping his pacing and sliding down against the wall, until he sat on the floor next to the bedroom door. The back of his head was now constantly banging against the wall with his eyes closed. How would he be able to survive the upcoming four years or to keep out of prison for assaulting his twelve-year-old student if Sakura continued behaving like she had done earlier that night.

He was only a man. A man who had gone without _it_ for twelve years.

The Jonin's head started to hurt with the force he put into banging, while trying to dispel the unwelcome thoughts out of his mind. Suddenly he had to think of Sakura's 'hard-to-get-attitude', which she had put on until both of them finally had gotten together.

"Her current behavior couldn't be further from 'hard-to-get'," Kakashi thought desperately.

A loud knock on the Copy Ninja's front door interrupted his ordeal. For a few seconds he wondered, who would be knocking at his door at this time of night, while getting up from the floor. Making his way to the door, feeling slightly dizzy, he suddenly had a bad foreshadowing, which was proved right, when Kakashi opened the door and saw the Hokage standing in front of him with a weary look in his eyes.

"Please don't tell me that she is here," Minato mumbled, as if he was barely awake.

"Don't tell _me_ you're are looking for her because of what I think," Kakashi replied, sounding just as tiredly, as he stepped aside in order to grant his Sensei entry to his home.

Entering his house Minato went straight into the living-room and made himself at home on the sofa, waiting for Kakashi to do the same. Both men were visibly exhausted with deep shadows under their eyes. Since they both had an incredibly long day and just wanted to get a couple of hours of sleep, they didn't beat around the bush.

"Since I don't have much time for obvious reasons, I'll ask quite bluntly. How did it go?"

The Hokage's curiosity was earnest and a good opportunity for Kakashi to get rid of some pent-up frustration. The Jonin shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa and tried to put his predicament into words.

"She simply isn't the girl who left me, Sensei," the Copy Ninja clearly had trouble finding the right words under Minato's gaze.

"I mean, I know that she is Sakura, but she isn't _my_ Sakura. My Sakura was never this bold," he frowned deeply, "She tried to seduce me tonight," Kakashi explained seeing the Hokage's questioning look.

Minato nearly choked on his own tongue.

"Not to mention that I am so mad at the whole situation we are in," the silver-haired man said through clenched teeth, his anger surfacing again.

"What situation?" Minato asked truly confused at Kakashi's revelation.

Kakashi's gaze, which had been focused on the floor before him, turned to the blue-eyed man next to him, "She is _twelve, _Sensei. _Twelve_! The fact that her parents sent you to look for her, makes it all the more true. And the most thing I want, apart from yelling at her, I can't get, as it would give you every right to accuse me of molesting my _student_."

The word 'misery' was practically written all over Kakashi's face by now. Even Minato could tell that he was torn between doing what the Jonin thought had been right and what he wanted to do.

Shaking his head slightly, before looking at Kakashi again, the blond said soothingly, "I understand your situation, Kakashi, and I think you did the right thing by stopping her tonight," he stopped suddenly, his eyes widening, "you did stop her, didn't you?"

Kakashi could only sneer at that, "Of course, I did."

Ignoring his attitude, Minato nodded and continued, "As I said, you did the right thing tonight. And although I know that it will be difficult, but I think that it would be for your and Sakura's best if the two of you waited until she is old enough. I am not saying that you should break off with her," Kakashi's frown reappeared, as Minato stated things as if Sakura and Kakashi had never been separated for twelve years, "but take it slow."

"You are talking as if I was the one seducing her, but I wasn't," the silver-haired man snapped at his former Sensei.

At this remark Minato's eyes narrowed a bit, "You seem to be under the impression that _I_ would be the one making your life a living hell if you and Sakura take things further now. However, I am not. It would be her parents, Kakashi. Her parents and most of Konoha's habitats, who don't know you personally. People wouldn't care about your background, much less believe you, but they would only care about the juicy stuff. A teacher courting his twelve-year-old student. Believe me, you don't want to put her through that."

During Minato's speech Kakashi averted his eyes and instead focused on the floor again. He knew exactly that his former Sensei had been right with everything he had said and the Copy Ninja was determined to tell Sakura the exact same thing, as soon as she would wake up. But, damn, he knew the next four years wouldn't be easy on him.

"You are right," Kakashi said at last, still focusing on the pattern on the floor, "but if you only saw how Sakura behaved tonight. You would understand that I'm not particularly seeing forward to spending four years with this bolt version of Sakura without being allowed to touch her. I can't even describe how disturbing it was. The things she did and the way she behaved. She acted like, I don't know... she acted like -"

Before Kakashi could finish, there was a third voice joining their conversation.

"A slut."

All color drained from Kakashi's face as his gaze snapped to the figure, standing between the hallway and the living-room. When he finally met her eyes, he had all his answers he had needed. He could see it all in those green eyes.

Insecurity. Desperation. Longing. Hurt.

Love.


End file.
